The Experiment
by Kyouhaku
Summary: AU InuKag He's the ultimate, but unwilling, experiment who will one day pave the way for something the world has never seen before. But when he runs away, he finds his life in the hands of one girl who has no idea what she's getting into...
1. The Absconder and the Unlucky Girl

AN: Okay, new story! First story actually. I've been thinking of this idea for a long time, though in different variations…but the constant of Inuyasha being the experiment was always the same. The other ideas just weren't working for me, so I decided to try this out! I hope it doesn't seem too unoriginal and hopefully it'll get better. I might be changing the title too, but I'm not sure yet.

Disclaimer: That's a flat out no. I definitely don't own Inuyasha. No matter how much I wish I did…-sigh-

The Experiment

Chapter One: The Absconder and the Unlucky Girl

Glass broke as people frantically yelled from one end of the lab to the other, though it was all in vain. Sirens released their high-pitched alarms throughout the building signaling something, or rather someone, had escaped. How often did this happen? Not very, which is why it was such a big deal.

The one escaping didn't bother to let himself be held back by the scientists, though not very many bothered to approach either. He was still in the stages of 'instability', and therefore the others feared him. And quite frankly, he felt they should suffer his wrath – it served them all right.

"Stop, Inuyasha!" A woman's voice yelled, one that made Inuyasha skid to a halt. He whirled around menacingly, baring his fangs to the woman. She didn't seem fazed.

"You fucking lied to me!" He spat, his body trembling with rage. The woman didn't bat an eye, though some sort of remorse floated by in her dark brown eyes. Her lips were set into a firm line, one that didn't seem ready to waver in any sort of fashion.

"It had to be this way, Inuyasha. Try to understand…this will help you in the future. Well…if not you, then more of your kind." She finished, starting to walk over to him. He growled with every step she came closer when another scientist hastily ran up to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Miss Kikyou! Don't go near him! He's clearly unstable…" the man yelped, terrified of every movement that Inuyasha made. Suddenly, Inuyasha lunged at Kikyou with every intent to rip out her throat and feed it to the rats. His golden eyes were bursting with hatred and fervent desire to bring her pain like she did him.

The man yelped before running away for help, leaving Kikyou to deal with the monster. Inuyasha lunged at her again before letting one of his long claws make contact with her cheek. She gasped lightly before stumbling away. "Inuyasha, you allowed the situation to become this way…had you cooperated –"

"– all you bastards did was torture me, you lying bitch!" His voice was growing hoarse with all the pain and raw emotion going into it.

Inuyasha spun around and proceeded to run, not stopping once at Kikyou's commands to stop. Most of the other scientists (torturers to Inuyasha's mind) had already run out in mass panic, afraid of what potential he had. His eyes darted around this way and that, ears swiveling to catch signs for other people. There were those who did not fear him…mainly those who had brought him here, Kikyou being one of them.

God, every time he thought about her, he wanted to rip something to shreds and then revive it just to do so again. She _lied _to him…and for her own personal gain. How someone could do that was beyond him…but he was used to it by now. No longer was he naïve to the people who worked here. They all had intentions, and all of them were bad ones.

"She can never save me…" He whispered, vanishing out into the starless sky.

-o-

Kagome tried desperately to keep her mouth from opening wide and displaying everything inside it to the customers seated nearby. She was working the late-shift…again. Glancing at the clock, she was sorely disappointed to find that it was only ten…meaning she still had until one in the morning before she could go.

"Excuse me!" A lady called, her eyes snapping on Kagome. She jolted from her stupor and immediately rushed to her side, plastering a wide, fake smile on her face. The woman sniffed, not at all amused. "I've been asking for a refill on my water, and no one's been listening!"

Mentally, Kagome could only wonder why, but she kept her thoughts to herself and assured the woman she'd have the job done right away. After filling the lady's glass and giving it back to her, somewhat grudgingly, she returned to her post, though this time she had a rag in hand to make it look as if she were being productive.

It's not that Kagome was some lazy girl who was looking to be paid just for standing around, but after working one-too-many late-shifts and dealing with pretty snippy people, she had just about enough.

"Do you ever wonder why people always seem to decide to come eat at ten? As if there's no better time to eat dinner…or breakfast," Sango added. Kagome looked up and smiled tiredly. She could only agree with her best friend's statement.

"I wonder if they've ever heard of grocery-shopping and cooking?" Kagome asked sarcastically earning a laugh from Sango. "That too."

"You know…I know I always say this…but sometimes I wish there was a little more something in my life. I know I'm only a student and that this is only a job to pay the bills…but seriously." Kagome mused like she often did during her uneventful work hours. Sango nodded in agreement.

"I can't help but feel the same way…but on the bright side, I'm thinking we'll be out of this job soon enough. We'll actually be doing something productive with our lives."

"Mm." was the only response Kagome could supply.

As the two girls stood there, each lost in their own thoughts and daydreams, an old woman hobbled over to them, an eye patch situated over her left eye. Her long gray hair was swept into a ponytail and her face was covered in so many wrinkles that Kagome sometimes felt as if she couldn't even see her real face.

"Oh great…" She murmured to Sango without trying to move her lips too much.

"What?!" Kaede snapped, looking somewhat dazed. "Speak louder!"

Kagome mentally rolled her eyes.

"Anyways, I'm not paying you two to stand around like mannequins! Get out there and do your job!" She spat before hobbling away on her worn-out legs. Sango had once quipped that it must be a peg leg…Kagome wouldn't be too surprised if that were to be true…

-o-

The night air clung to his skin, and he reveled in it. How long had it been since he had run like this? He took in a deep breath, almost forgetting to let it out, it was that good.

His white hair stuck out like a sore thumb in the middle of the darkened city. Suddenly, he pulled to a stop, sniffing the air.

_Kouga_. That damn wolf demon had been sent to follow him. However, Inuyasha knew with a few good turns and some careful evasiveness, he could escape the mangy wolf. If there was one thing he knew, it was that Kouga, although a full-blooded demon, was not as good when it came to Inuyasha's heightened senses. Not to say that Kouga wasn't a formidable adversary (not that Inuyasha would ever admit to it), but he still wasn't up to par with Inuyasha, despite him being a half-demon.

And he hated Kouga just as much as Kikyou. The only difference being that he never hated Kikyou from the start like he did Kouga. Something about Kouga's attitude set him off…they were very alike when it came to ego and their incorrigibility, but there was always that theory of not liking someone who was too much like you to begin with…

"Keep running, you mutt!" Kouga yelled, not too far behind him. "I'll still be running while you're struggling to walk!" Kouga had a very high endurance level though, something Inuyasha didn't like too much.

"Going to have to do it the hard way…" Inuyasha mumbled before scaling a building and reaching the roof. He wasted no time in jumping from rooftop to rooftop in an effort to evade Kouga. Suddenly, his ears perked when the sound of a gunshot reached him. Soon enough, the bullet came and hit him straight in the right shoulder. He let out a gasp of pain as he stumbled to keep balance on the rooftops. If he fell, there was the possibility of killing himself, though his healing abilities were much more than that of a human.

Keeping the thought of escaping his personal hell in mind, he continued to stagger over the rooftops, just barely jumping across each one before he finally touched the ground and collapsed near some garbage bins.

-o-

Kouga paused, the other men behind him coming to a stop as well. They cast each other questioning looks, wondering why after the heated pursuit they had stopped all so suddenly. "Kouga, sir…" one man began hesitantly. He was either the brave one, or the foolish one, to interrupt Kouga's train of thought like that.

"What?" He snapped, barely looking at the man who immediately shut up. Letting out a sigh, he faced the men behind him and began to walk past them. "Forget it now. We'll find him later. I'm sure one of you shot him, and as long as he's injured, he won't be too willing to move."

"But can't we just finish the job…"

"No!" Kouga whirled on the man behind him, his ice blue eyes boring into him. "If we go make a scene in front of the public, what do you think will happen?" As much as he wanted to punch the mutt shitless, he'd have to wait. He'd get his opportune moment soon enough…that he'd make sure of.

-o-

"Here's the last of it," Sango said, handing Kagome a huge trash bag filled with all sorts of junk. Kagome was amazed at how effortlessly the woman in front of her lifted them with one hand. She had to struggle just to drag them outside with both hands.

"Thanks," she muttered. This was the part of her job she hated the most. Working as cleaning crew. How…gross. She couldn't imagine some of the things she found in the garbage. Sometimes gross things…sometimes odd things, such as a necklace. She wasn't sure if that was purposely thrown in or what…but she can't say she wasn't tempted to at least try it on. _That's disgusting…taking someone else's trash and digging through it…_She berated herself.

With another huge heave, she managed to get the garbage bag outside the doorway and into the back alley where all the other garbage bags and dumpsters lay.

However, she didn't expect to stumble across a bloodied, half-dead-looking boy. At first, she stood their, eyes wide in shock as her mouth hung open like a gaping fish. Then, she dropped the trash bag and screamed.

On hindsight, it may have been a silly thing to do, but she was so overwhelmed, and she certainly wasn't expecting it either. A million questions rushed through her mind, especially when she caught sight of the blood. It soaked his shirt and his odd, snow-colored hair. And while gazing upon his hair, she saw two, fuzzy dog ears situated on top, and had absent-mindedly thought they were adorable.

Sango came rushing out, her brown eyes wide in shock before landing on Kagome and the bedraggled boy. "Oh my god!" She yelped, rushing over to Kagome. "He's…he's a demon!" She gasped, squatting down on the ground to get a closer look. If the long, white hair didn't give him away, it was certainly the two dog ears perched atop his head along with his claws that did.

"What do you think happened?" Kagome whispered, afraid he'd wake up any minute.

"I have no clue…but something very bad…bad enough that he was shot."

"We should call the police or something. He's in bad shape." Kagome supplied, staring at the boy's bloody shoulder. Blood still seemed to leak out.

"I don't think that's such a good idea…Don't you know how prejudice people are towards demons?"

"True…But we can't leave him like this. It's almost strange though…how he ended up here…"

"Yeah…" Sango muttered in agreement.

Suddenly, she jumped back when his eyes snapped open. They were golden and as intense as the sun. "He's awake!" She hissed, standing up and moving a few feet away from him. She wasn't about to sit there and let him rip her apart.

Kagome however, merely gasped a little and stumbled backwards. Inuyasha growled at her, and through his muddled sense of thought, could only think of one name: Kikyou.

"You little bitch! As if it wasn't enough for you to go around torturing me, now you have to shoot me too?! And where's Kouga, huh?!" He snapped, struggling to get to his feet. "I'll kill you!" He screeched, before lunging at Kagome, claws aimed straight for her throat.

* * *

AN: Yup. That's all for now! Tell me what you think. 


	2. A Little Convincing

AN: Chapter two! Thank you guys for the very positive reviews! It made my day! So here's chapter two. And, I have a question, one that doesn't really matter I suppose, but it's been bothering me: Whenever I put in, let's say, 5 spaces between the title and the first paragraph, as soon as I upload it to it automatically formats it so that there's only one space. It just really bothers me, and I don't know what to do. Maybe it's just showing up that way on my screen, but in any case, I use Microsoft Word 2000 if that makes any difference…so if anyone has an answer, just message me! Thanks!

Disclaimer: You wouldn't even recognize the story plot if I owned Inuyasha…which I don't.

**The Experiment**

**Chapter Two: A Little Convincing **

Kagome let out a squeak of surprise before barely running out of the way. Her heart was thumping erratically, and she was sure that in any moment it would jump right out of her chest. Sango stood frozen by the doorway to the back of the restaurant, not sure of whether or not to interfere. There was no point in going up against someone way stronger than her…_Especially a demon…_

"I'm not Kikyou! I don't even know who she is!" Kagome cried, dodging him again when he lunged once more. _And I don't think I'd want to be her after this!_

Surprisingly, the angered demon seemed to calm down, his shoulders heaving up and down with every breath he released. Kagome let out a small sigh of relief, gently raising a fist to her chest. That was a close one…

"Don't you _dare _call the police or the hospital or anyone! I swear that if you do, I'll rip your throat out!" He growled before suddenly crumpling to the ground. Kagome gasped and rushed forward to prop his body into the upright position against the brick wall while Sango slowly made her way over.

"What should we do? He made it clear not to call anyone. I can't imagine why…but that bullet wound tells me he was either shot by the bad guys, or he _is _the bad guy."

Kagome nodded absent-mindedly before standing up and taking a few steps back to stand beside Sango. "Call Miroku. I'll take him to my place."

"Kagome!" Sango protested, eyeing the unconscious demon. "It's dangerous, and you never know what he's plotting!"

"I know," Kagome breathed out, staring curiously at Inuyasha who was a bloody mess. "But what else can we do? My apartment has a spare room…It's only logical. Plus, we can't leave him out here. What if someone bad finds him?" The compassionate side of Kagome spoke, which was definitely the stronger part of her personality.

Sighing, Sango went in to call Miroku, though she didn't exactly feel right doing so. Only a few minutes later did she step out to see Kagome watching him slumped against the wall; she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts again. "The bleeding seems to have stopped," Sango pointed out. Kagome averted her eyes from the ground to Sango before gazing at his shoulder. "Mm…I hope he hasn't lost too much yet."

Sango shook her head. "He's a demon. Any small amount of demon blood in him can heal someone much faster than a regular human's abilities." Kagome seemed to accept this for a response and leaned against the wall.

Suddenly, she remembered the fact that she had been at work this whole time. "Is Kaede still here?" Kagome asked.

Once more, Sango shook her head. "She left about an hour ago…we're the only ones left – go figure."

Kagome gave a small laugh before looking out into the street. Soon enough, a black car pulled over near the alley. The door to the black car was pushed open and a young man stepped out, looking rather hurried. The way Sango urgently begged him to come, he could only imagine the worse.

"My fair Sango, what's the matter?" He asked when approaching the two women. Sango glared, but she didn't have the patience to lecture him over his greetings, especially with the matter of the demon at hand. Besides, she could beat him up later if need be.

"That's what's the matter," Kagome piped up, pointing over at the wall where Inuyasha was situated. Miroku's violet eyes that were usually twinkling with mischief darkened at the sight of the demon covered in blood.

"What the hell…" He muttered, walking closer to get a better look.

"I found him sitting here when I was going to take the trash out. He's really, really pissed, that much I know before he passed out again." She explained, waiting for a reaction from Miroku. However, he simply stood up and straightened himself before looking at Kagome.

"Call the hospital or something. We can't leave him like this."

"We can't." Sango interjected. "He's adamant on not being found…so for now, we should just play along. A huge gamble I think, but it's the best we can do."

Miroku sighed, raking a hand through his black hair before moving over to Inuyasha. "So where do you want me to take him?"

"My place," Kagome replied firmly. She was suddenly filling into the role of guardian, and she was determined to make sure he survived. Somehow, she felt an aching pain for him…she saw the way his golden eyes flashed at her, and beyond the anger, there was sorrow. In a way, she was curious to know what his story was, considering all the words he told her seemed harsh and the accusations incredulous. But the one word that rang out in her mind was 'torture'. What could he have possibly meant by that? And who was Kikyou? Apparently she had done him wrong in some sort of way…and she was bound to find out sooner or later.

"Sango, grab his legs, and I'll take his upper body." Miroku directed, slowly maneuvering him towards the car. Kagome rushed ahead to open one of the back doors. Within a few minutes, Sango and Miroku had gotten in the front and Kagome was in the back, resting Inuyasha's head in her lap. Normally, her face would've been bright red at the rather intimate position, however worry was the only thing that plagued her mind.

And yet, despite the dire situation, Miroku still found the time to creep his right hand over to Sango's thigh before she quickly slapped it away as if it were a mere reflex – which it most likely was.

Miroku peered into the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of Kagome's profile; she was currently staring out the window, lost in the thoughts of what she'd do with this boy. "Don't get too worried," Miroku said, breaking the tense silence. "We'll figure out something."

Kagome jumped slightly before smiling in his direction. "Thank you."

-o-

With much effort on the parts of Sango and Miroku, Inuyasha was hauled into Kagome's apartment (which luckily had an elevator available) and gently laid him down on the bed in her spare bedroom. He hadn't stirred once, and Kagome was beginning to wonder if he had died back in the alleyway. She quickly berated herself for thinking such a thing, though morbid thoughts still crept into her mind.

"The first thing we need to do is clean the wound, otherwise it'll get infected, if not already." Miroku stated, moving some of Inuyasha's long, white hair matted with dried blood out of his way. "I'm assuming you have some sort of first aid kit?" He spared a glance at Kagome who nodded her head quickly before disappearing out of the room and then reappearing with a first aid kit.

Sango and Kagome watched in silence as Miroku cleaned the blood and disinfected the wound with alcohol and cotton swabs before reaching for some gauze. He deftly wrapped it around the joint that connected Inuyasha's shoulder to his upper arm, before cutting off the extra bits. Already some splotches of red appeared, though not as intimidating as they had been earlier.

"Thank you Miroku…for everything." Kagome announced, walking over to inspect the bandages. Miroku rose to his feet with a soft smile.

"No problem…keep us posted, okay?" He asked, a serious look now on his features. Kagome nodded vigorously before hugging Sango and thanking Miroku once more. They soon left, leaving Kagome alone with the strange boy. She bit her bottom lip in anxiety and confusion. What was she supposed to do now? Miroku had recommended as he was leaving to give him painkillers at every interval recommended by the bottle to ease the pain, but that was all she could do.

She wandered over to the doorframe of the room where he was residing and watched him. His chest barely rose with every heartbeat, but at least he was alive.

Getting out of her thoughts, she gently grasped the doorknob and pulled it along with her so that remained half-way open before she wandered off into the kitchen to make a cup of hot chocolate. As she boiled the water, she began to wonder more freely of this boy's situation. What was a demon doing wandering around so carelessly in the streets? Then again, it was pretty late at night, and also he didn't seem to want to be out in the streets…rather, he had to be.

_What could be so bad that you'd have to run away? _She paused briefly. _A lot of things, I guess. But somehow…I don't think that's the case with him. It's got to be something completely out of the ordinary._

When the kettle began to whistle, she quickly took it off the stove and poured the hot water in a mug and added the hot chocolate mix, stirring it with a spoon. As she took the mug to her lips, a loud crash was heard. She jumped, splashing a bit of her drink on her shit and on the counter before setting the cup down and running to the bedroom where Inuyasha was.

When she got there, she was startled to see him standing tall, barely showing that the wound in his shoulder had been there in the first place.

He sniffed the air before turning his head to see her. She gulped a little at how intense his stare was before he growled. "You…where the hell am I?!"

Kagome seemed to have forgotten her voice for a moment before she quickly cleared it and smiled slightly. "I'm Kagome…the girl you saw earlier," she would've mentioned the fact that he had confused her for Kikyou, but that seemed like a bad conversation starter. "This is my apartment…we tried to fix your wound."

"'We'?" He snarled, glaring at her.

"Me and my two friends that found you. Well, one of them found you with me…we called Miroku up to take you here. He also cleaned your wound."

Inuyasha sniffed before taking measured steps near Kagome. Her body tensed and he could only scoff. Humans and their tendencies…scared of what wasn't normal. "It's best if you stay here for awhile…I don't know what kind of situation you're in but…I'm here to help."

"How do I know you're not here to send me back? What the hell makes you think I should trust you? For all I know, you could be that conniving bitch's sister…you damn well look alike!"

Kagome looked taken aback before clearing her throat and showing a firm look in her cerulean eyes. "Whether or not you want to believe it, I am not _her_. And I am not _related _to her in any way. So calm down. I don't even know what you're talking about anyways…I don't even know your name!"

"And you don't need to." He rebuked.

"Why not? It's not like I can do anything," she mused, trying her hardest to at least coax some information out of him.

"Like I said…I have no reason to trust you." He quickly pushed her aside with his good shoulder and moved out into the open area of the apartment. Kagome staggered a bit, a flush of anger on her cheeks. He was being pretty rude after all the crap they had to do!

"Now you listen here, mister!" She marched over to him, brows furrowed in annoyance. "I didn't have to save you, you know! I could've pretended to simply not see you and leave you to die, so you better put a nice attitude, and at least tell me your name!" Sometimes her temper took control over her mind, and she just had to blurt out everything she was thinking at the time.

Inuyasha turned around, a brow raised in mild surprise. What a drastic change in attitude…

"Inuyasha." He mumbled, before entering the kitchen area. Kagome looked up with surprise that he easily gave it to her. She figured he'd have one more go on evading the question, however she didn't dwell on it. At least he opened up a little.

Upon entering the kitchen, Kagome found him opening all her cabinets, sniffing every bag or box of food he picked up. Kagome shifted uneasily in her spot, wondering why he went through that process every time.

"Uhm…what's with the sniffing?"

"In case it's poisoned." He bluntly stated.

Her eyes widened a bit at this. "Why would I poison my own food?"

He gave her a blank stare before continuing on with his process. This ate at Kagome's mind more. Was he being poisoned where he previously came from? Everything about his actions screamed abuse of some sort. And now Kagome was determined more than ever to save him from whatever was after him.

-o-

"Why is it that every task I give you, you seem to fuck up?" Naraku hissed.

Kouga looked momentarily startled before regaining some composure. "We did manage to shoot him in the shoulder…"

"Yet I don't see a half-demon in front of me."

Kouga sighed in defeat, knowing there was no way he could soothe the licking flames of Naraku's temper. This current situation only made Kouga hate Inuyasha more, and he vowed that he would be the one to spill his blood.

"And besides," Naraku began, leaning back in his chair. "I don't want him dead. He was proving to be very valuable…" He gave a pointed glare at Kouga, his ruby eyes shining with malice and disgust.

Kouga swallowed before rising to his feet. "I swear I'll bring him back here, Sir. This time, you can be sure to count on me."

"So are you questioning my past actions by placing my trust in you?" He asked with mock curiosity while twirling a pen between two fingers.

"N-No!" Kouga stuttered, mentally smacking himself. Somehow he always managed to anger Naraku without even trying. "It's just that normally I mess up…and all…" he hadn't been too crazy about admitting that, but anything to earn bonus with Naraku. Well…not bonus, considering he was negative right now.

"So apparently I shouldn't really be assigning you this task…"

"Sir! I can do this, I promise you that."

Naraku raised a brow. "Get out of my sight before I permanently fix the problem…" he drawled, turning his back to Kouga who darted out of the room, sweat dripping down his nose and the side of his face. That was a close call.

Meanwhile, Naraku merely chuckled. How easy it was to confuse that dolt…

-o-

It had been several hours since Inuyasha last awoke, and Kagome hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. Her eyelids were sagging over her eyes, and she felt like she was ready to float off into the clouds. Or break into a musty pile of bones. Either way would be alright with her as long as sleep was involved.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, seemed rather bright and alert. He was constantly moving around the apartment, sometimes spending as little as five minutes on the couch before investigating some other 'unknown' area. Kagome kept a lazy watch on him, trusting him not to do anything too stupid…but god, did he have an attitude!

"You look like shit," he pointed out, happily throwing a potato chip into his mouth, revealing his pointy fangs.

"Gee, thanks," Kagome drawled out, shoving her chin into the palm of her hand.

He mumbled something in response while rummaging through the kitchen drawers. Upon opening one that contained silverware, he blanched at the sight of the butcher knife.

"_Let's begin testing the immunity level again." A voice announced that seemed to echo off the walls of the stark white room. Inuyasha grimaced as he struggled to get off the cool, metal table. He was clad in only long, loose-fitting cotton pants, his chest exposed. Scars trailed down all over his body, each one that he'd rather not remember the story of. _

_Several men and one woman who seemed to float off in the background circled him, a few holding onto his wrists and ankles, though he was already strapped in. He was showing tremendous amounts of increase when it came to strength. _

"_One…Two…Three…" The same voiced announced. A doctor took an exceptionally sharp scalpel from an array of types set out on a tray and began to slowly drag it into his skin. He bit his lip to keep in the screams of pain, not watching the amounts of blood that began to pour out of his torn flesh. The doctor kept dragging the scalpel and pushing it further in his arm until he finally yelled in pain._

_The woman standing off to the side had her arms folded loosely, a clipboard dangling from her right hand while in front of her grasped in her left was a small, white device with a single red button. She sighed quietly and pushed it, sending an electric shock to Inuyasha who had several little wires attached to his skin along with small, circular pads. _

_His body convulsed slightly before finally settling down on the metal table. _

_His wound was beginning to heal, most of the blood coming to a stop. Some parts were scabbing over as well. The doctors seated in the crowed quickly jotted down observations before attentively staring once more at the procession going on in the middle._

"_Again." The voice boomed._

Inuyasha quickly slammed shut the drawer, eyes shut tightly. Kagome got out of her seat and quickly rushed to his side, placing a hand on his arm. "Inuyasha what's wro-"

He quickly pushed her aside, and stalked over to the bedroom where he had been resting in earlier. He slammed the door loudly, causing Kagome to skid to a stop. It was obvious he didn't want to talk. She gazed at her hands and wondered what she had done to make him so tense and frantic.

"Inuyasha…" she sighed.

-o-

Inuyasha let out a few, heavy breaths before falling backwards onto the bed. His eyes were fixated on the ceiling above him, and he soon found himself following the little bumps that protruded from it. The way she rested her hand against his arm…he shuddered. It was the same arm that had been tested from his memory…and it was the woman who looked so much like Kagome that had gingerly touched his arm. He loathed her and felt his heart shudder at the mere memory of her face in his mind.

Why did Kagome look so much like her?

He scowled, turning over onto his stomach. He couldn't stay here…and he couldn't be found. He was at a loss of what to do…he hadn't even planned on succeeding in escaping, but now that he was free, he didn't know what to do next.

But one thing was for sure.

He would get his revenge. And not a single soul in that laboratory would be spared.

_Not even you, Kikyou._

* * *

AN: Dun dun dun. Well, it's not too much of a cliff-hanger actually, but that's okay. Tell me what you guys think! 


	3. Long Lost Twin?

Disclaimer: don't own Inuyasha, never will. Don't rub salt in the wound!

AN: Shorter chapter this time. Sorry guys! But I wanted to get something out before it looked like I had completely abandoned this idea. And there is some action in this one! Well, stuff to help build up at the very least…

**The Experiment**

**Chapter Three: Long Lost Twin? **

It was when the sun began to set that Kagome wearily opened her eyes. She blinked a few times before it registered in her mind that the sun was bidding her farewell for the day, and she suddenly jumped up from her bed. The covers were wrinkled from her sleeping on top of them, and her clothes were rumpled. She didn't even want to look in the mirror, for she knew what she'd see…a girl who looked practically dead.

When she heard the shuffling of feet outside her room, she then knew why she had been deprived of sleep. _Inuyasha…_Still feeling groggy, she pushed herself up off the bed and trotted into the living room to find Inuyasha gazing out the window. The sun's fading rays bounced off his amber eyes in a mystifying fashion. It almost seemed like a sort of painting, but Kagome snapped out of it and wandered over to him.

Inuyasha's ear tweaked in her direction, and he barely gave her a sideways glance.

"You're up," he mumbled.

"Mm…yeah. What time is it?"

Inuyasha glanced at the clock. "6:15."

Sirens went off in Kagome's head as she jumped. "Shit!"

Inuyasha scrunched his nose up in confusion at her sudden anxiety. It was radiating off her in tremendous waves like a high tide. "What?"

"Work! I'm late for work! I have to be there at 7:00! Ohhh!" She groaned, running into her room and slamming the door. Inuyasha stood there slightly confused though he dismissed it. He couldn't help but draw comparisons to her and Kikyou…Kikyou was so orderly and rarely ever raised her voice, but this girl on the other hand…she was just full of springs.

Minutes later Kagome emerged from her room once more, clad in knee-length black skirt and black flats to match while a white, button-up shirt covered her top. He could barely smell a small amount of perfume, and his interest was piqued.

"Where are you going to work?" She looked awfully fancy to him…

"I'm a waitress! I'm going to be late! And Kaede's gonna kill me!" She wailed, stalking over to the coat-rack and grabbing a small, black purse. She slung it over her shoulder in a hasty manner while tugging open the door. As she turned around to shut it behind her, she was met with the scene of a rather clueless demon boy staring at her by the couch.

"Gah! I forgot about you…" she mumbled. "Uhm, listen and listen good! Don't step out of here unless you want to get in trouble! If someone finds out you're living here, then I have to pay double!" She quickly hollered a goodbye and slammed the door shut before leaving for work. She just hoped her head wasn't on the menu when she got there…

-o-

"I'm surprised Naraku still has the ability to trust you." Kikyou stated dryly, glancing at Kouga to see his reaction. His eyes were on her, filled with annoyance and severity.

"Yeah, well…I'm the top full-blooded demon they have! He has no one but me to trust!"

"Shush, you're practically screaming out everything."

Kouga folded his arms with a skulk-like look, not used to being ordered around by some human woman…

"So you said this was the area that Inuyasha, ah…had a misfortune?" She whispered as they entered the restaurant. Kouga nodded his head in affirmation. "Well…let's see if anyone seems to know anything…" She smiled mechanically as a host greeted her and began to lead the pair to a vacant table. The two sat down and waited for the host to leave before resuming their conversation.

"Do you sense anything suspicious?" Kikyou asked, barely glancing around the room before taking a sip of water that had been placed in glasses before them.

"No." He drummed his fingers on the table, glaring at those who gave him odd looks. It was most likely his cold blue eyes that set them off…well good. Less people that would pay attention to him.

Kouga sighed, casting a glare at Kikyou before taking a swig of his water. He shook the glass in an annoying fashion and smirked when he saw one of Kikyou's eyebrows furrow in subtle irritation. She was so easy to tick off.

"You know you're paying right?" He suddenly asked.

"Like hell," she snarled back.

"Bitch," he retorted. Kikyou merely looked the other way before her eyes widened in slight shock. One of the waitresses seemed to look a lot like…her.

The only differences that existed were the fact that she was a bit younger and seemed less refined. She couldn't tell the physical details, but from a distance, she looked too much like her. It bothered her for some reason, to find someone that looked so much like her.

"Who are you drooling at?" Kouga asked bluntly while leaning back in his seat. Kikyou whipped her head to look at him with a frown playing at the edges of her lips.

"Look at the girl over there…"

"Geez Kikyou…didn't know you swung that way." He flashed her a toothy grin earning a glare.

"Pay attention! Doesn't she look familiar?" Kouga squinted his eyes in the girl's direction, slightly scratching the side of his jaw.

"Mm…Sorta. I can't place my finger on it…"

"Me!" Kikyou exclaimed, turning fully to face him. "She looks like me…" She whispered again in a hushed tone.

Kouga's eyes lit up with recognition. "She does…only she's cuter. And actually seems approachable."

"That's not the point."

Kouga put his hands up in defeat. "Alright, alright. But so what if she looks like you? It's a pretty small world you know…"

Kikyou shoved her chin into the palm of her hand while swirling the straw around in her glass. "I suppose. It's just weird. Plus, I feel something awkward I guess when I look at her. Something that's just…off…" She closed her eyes and presumed to take a sip of her water, not aware of Kouga's broad grin.

"Somebody's jealous," he quipped cheerfully.

Kikyou brought down her drink abruptly. "I am not!" She hissed. "Why would I be jealous of some floozy?"

"Harsh accusations…" Kouga chided. "Just because you have a twin doesn't mean you're not as pretty." Kikyou looked up, eyes barely showing any shock though it was clear that she was caught off-guard. "What?" Kouga asked with a hint of surprise. "That's just the gossip I hear anyways…you know how _rumors _are of you. I guess them calling you pretty was just one of them."

Kikyou's shock quickly subsided and was replaced by a look of pure loathing. _Stupid, idiotic, mangy mutt…_

-o-

"Hey, Kagome, could you do me a favor and go help table number 17? I've got my hands full," Sango asked, rushing over to refill a glass of soda. Kagome nodded quickly, setting a smile on her face as she walked over to table 17. However, the minute she got to the table and faced what she presumed was a couple, her happy demeanor faltered.

That lady looked far too much like her for comfort. There were small differences, but the overall appearance resembled hers. Bells rung in her head when she remembered how Inuyasha had accused her of being Kikyou…He'd only do that if they looked alike…

Suddenly her knees felt wobbly and the threatening presence of danger loomed over her head. She wanted to dart out of the building, especially with the way the man's eyes studied her. He looked quite different…his sleek black hair was pulled into a high ponytail and his eyes were a powerful ice blue. It was then that she saw two small fangs as he grinned slightly in her direction.

Nervously, she tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Can I help you guys with anything?" She tried extremely hard to keep the grin plastered on her face, but found it terribly hard.

Kikyou looked up at her, her brown eyes almost delivering her a challenge. "No thank you." She said coldly before turning her head away.

Kagome gave a noise of acceptance before bounding away as quickly as possible.

Kouga waited until she was out of ear-shot, though with how flustered she was, he doubted she'd hear if she were a mere inch away.

"Looks like we've found our link." He grinned. "After all, my nose never lies."

-o-

Inuyasha paced the room with constrained energy, eyes darting at the clock every second. It was nearing one in the morning, and Kagome had yet to arrive. Suspicion mingled with worry ate at his mind; he couldn't be too sure of whose side the girl was on. She seemed innocent enough, but that didn't mean he'd let down his guard.

"Where are you, crazy bitch…" he mumbled, plopping down onto the couch. His ears twitched at every sound from the honking of the cars outside to the ticking of the clock.

His irritation level was high at this point, not that he knew why exactly. But if she didn't show up soon, he'd be more than willing to get out of here, regardless of whatever it was that she said about paying extra rent.

Just then, Kagome burst through the door, not even bothering to hang up her small purse; she settled on dropping it to the ground. Fear and panic had captured her mind the whole time she was at work, and now that she was home, she felt relieved to see Inuyasha sitting there with the usual bored glare. Odd thoughts had plagued her mind, thoughts where they might've found him…although she didn't know for sure if they were exactly the people Inuyasha was talking about…_better safe than sorry, at least._

"Where the hell have you been?" He sounded exactly like an angry parent.

"Work! I told you that earlier." She snapped, suddenly a bad mood. Stress usually did that to her…

"Oh. Right." He shuffled around in his seat on the couch. "Took you long enough," he mumbled.

Kagome rolled her eyes before making her way to room. She shut the door and clumsily unbuttoned her shirt and took off her skirt before changing into her pajamas. Staring in the mirror, she wondered whether or not to tell Inuyasha…he seemed annoyed enough already. _Though I can't say he shows any other emotion…_

"I have to tell him. His life depends on it." She whispered before trotting out into the living room. Inuyasha hadn't moved once and the sulky look was still on his face. _Baby_, Kagome thought ruefully before sitting down on the couch next to him, although she kept her distance.

"I've got something to tell you…and it's sort of important," she began, staring at the floor nervously. God, why was she so nervous?! _Maybe because he'll eat me…_ "I saw…someone who looked a lot like me today at the restaurant…"

Inuyasha's interest was suddenly piqued. She could tell by the way his ears leaned in towards her direction and couldn't help but think it was adorable. _Ohhh, shut up Kagome! _She chided to herself. "Do…Do you think it was Kikyou?" She all but whispered the woman's name, afraid he might trash the house upon hearing it.

A few moments of silence passed before Inuyasha replied in a surprisingly flat tone, "Must be."

Kagome's face fell flat for a moment, trying to comprehend how easily Inuyasha took it. "Hey, woah…why are you all 'rawr-mode' on me? Last time you mistook me for Kikyou you nearly killed me…I'd think you'd be pretty ticked to know she's nearby!" Kagome herself wasn't sure as to why she was pressing on the subject so much…she supposed it was just because of the fact that someone who seemed to despise her a lot would react much more…animatedly.

"Do you want me to?" Inuyasha asked, facing her fully for the first time.

"Uh…no, I guess. But –"

"Then it doesn't matter. All it means is that she's tracking me. But she won't know anything." He shrugged.

"Oh ok. Then what about the guy she was with?" She asked, feeling somewhat relieved to know Kikyou wasn't a threat at this point.

Inuyasha suddenly froze. "What guy…?" He asked slowly and cautiously, as if talking to a three year old.

"I dunno his name. But he had black hair in a ponytail and ice blue eyes, and I swear he was a demon too, come to think of it…" she prattled, suddenly lost in her own musings of the man.

All of a sudden, Inuyasha jumped from his seat.

"Shit!"

Kagome jumped, barely staying on the couch. Her eyes were wide with shock and dread. "What?!"

"That damn mutt…" He mumbled, tuning out Kagome.

"What?" She asked again.

"When was the last time you showered?" He asked abruptly, looking at her.

_How freakin' rude! _Unconsciously she made a move to smell herself before Inuyasha snapped at her. "I'm not saying you smell bad, idiot! If you didn't take a shower before work, then Kouga could smell my scent on you! He _knows _you know me."

"Oh…_Oh_…" Kagome said, a dumbfounded look on her face. She definitely needed a crash course on learning the ways of demons.

"So…what do we do exactly?" She asked timidly.

"For one thing…don't let him have contact with you. The minute you let your guard down, we'll all lose are heads. That's right, even you," he added when she blanched and pointed to herself. "But first we've gotta figure out a way to get them off our tail…" he trailed off when he heard a small 'thud' nose.

Looking down, he saw Kagome sprawled on the floor. She fainted. _Fainted._

"Ah, fuck!" Inuyasha wailed.

AN: Tell me how it's going! And thanks to everyone who's reviewed! It means a LOT!


	4. Broadcasting

AN: Sorry about the delay. I've just been so busy with school, friends, family, birthdays, writer's block and so on and so forth. I can't promise that this chapter has too much going on it, but you can be the judge of that.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

**The Experiment**

**Chapter Four: Broadcasting**

It was the next day when the phone rang, breaking the silence floating throughout the apartment. Kagome jogged out of her room to answer it, Inuyasha not too far behind. His brows were furrowed in annoyance while Kagome held the phone up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Make sure it's not wiretapped!" he barked, glaring at her with such intensity she nearly fainted again.

Kagome cocked an eyebrow in his direction before hearing Sango's voice on the other line.

"How's the uh…'puppy' situation going along?"

Kagome eyed Inuyasha looking ready to pounce her as he growled quietly. Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes. "He's alright. Listen!" she suddenly exclaimed, remembering what happened at the restaurant. "I didn't tell you, but remember last night when you told me to go help that couple over at the restaurant? Well, it turns out that they might be the people after Inuyasha!" Kagome paused briefly at the sharp intake of breath Sango took. "The worst part is, the guy was a demon…that means he could smell Inuyasha's scent on me."

There was a pregnant paused before Sango started. "It means we'll have to be a lot more careful then…You'll probably have to think of a way to disguise him. I don't think he'll enjoy something close to house arrest for god knows how long."

"Mm…" Kagome snuck a glance at Inuyasha who had started to relax upon hearing Sango's voice over the phone with his sensitive dog ears.

"How long is he staying anyways?"

"Uhh…" Kagome twirled the phone cord around her finger, silently thinking to herself. When exactly was he leaving? Where would he even go? "I don't really know…I hardly know anything about him."

"That's understandable. Either way, you have to find out. I have a bad feeling about this…your life is in just as much danger as his."

"I know…I know…" Kagome bade her goodbye and hung up the phone, standing still for a few minutes. Her mind was spinning with scary thoughts and her paranoia was really beginning to kick in. What if someone was spying on them right now? She suppressed a shudder and wandered back to her bedroom, sinking into the bed.

It was almost as if Inuyasha was a child left in her care…she didn't know a thing about his past except that it wasn't pretty, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Most people abhorred the thought of demons and were repulsed by their very existence.

Suddenly, she was very keen on finding out who was behind this whole thing. She would find out who was responsible for Inuyasha's situation. She wasn't exactly sure on how she was going to go about doing it, but by god, she'd find a way. Once she was determined, nothing could push her off the track.

-o-

"Are you _sure _you can't sniff him down?" Kikyou stressed once more. Kouga shook his head for what must've been the thousandth time.

"It wasn't strong enough to get a trail! I've been telling you this since last night, so pipe down." He snarled, flashing his icy eyes for good measure. Kikyou merely pursed her lips and looked away. She was beginning to think Kouga was a mule demon, not a wolf…

"In any case," she suddenly said, "We'll be putting a broadcast on the news. We'll warn Tokyo that a very dangerous, cold-blooded dog demon is on the loose…once we alert the public, it will be so much easier to get leads."

Kouga cupped his chin in his hand. "But then he'll decide to just not show himself to the public."

Kikyou smirked. "Get real. A dog demon, or half I should say, such as him will find it increasingly difficult to stay locked up. He's a fighter bent on revenge that much I'm sure of. He'll find one way or another to get back at us."

Kouga revealed a toothy grin. "Well, you're not so bad after all." She gave a smug smile. "…for a hag, that is."

"I will castrate you."

--

"Look, all we have to do is make up a brilliant disguise for you!" Kagome clapped her hands together, her smile slightly faltering when Inuyasha barely acknowledged her idea. "Come on!" She pouted.

"What's the point?" he bit back. "They'll find out it's me. What disguise could you possibly have that would work for someone as different as me?"

Kagome smiled. "We'll find a way. We can easily get a hat to cover your ears, some contacts for your eyes or maybe sunglasses…"

"The hair?"

"That will take a little more thinking," she sighed. "But we'll get the job done! In the meantime…" She trailed off. Inuyasha gave her a small raise of the brow, not liking the tone she was taking. She seemed like she wanted something…and quite frankly, he wasn't going to tell her anything.

"What…"

"Where exactly did you come from? I mean, you don't have to tell me but…I hardly know anything about you. And I know you don't want to talk about it, but I want to help you – I really do. You're just leaving me to think all these scary thoughts, and I feel sort of sick when I even try to picture what you went through…I'm not going to lie, Inuyasha. You seemed pretty angry that night we met…so just, try, even a little, to open up to me."

Inuyasha gazed at her for a long time, his eyes getting this faraway look. It was as if he were reliving another memory, a time that only he knew. Kagome watched him intently, not even noticing the fact that her body was slowly leaning forward. His eyes swiveled to her direction and he promptly snapped out of it.

"I have no reason to tell you anything…besides, you don't need to get caught up in my problems."

"But I already am!" She protested.

"Then spare yourself some trouble."

"Inuyasha…"

"No." He bit back harshly.

"Just –" Kagome reached out to touch his shoulder.

Inuyasha jerked away from her with a loud cry, eyes ablaze with fury and what could've possibly been fear. Kagome had sprung back a little, bringing her hand close to her chest, feeling the palpitating beats of her heart. What had she done?

"Don't touch me!" He barked before stalking off into his room.

Kagome stared after him, flinching when the door slammed shut.

Inuyasha heard her sigh out in frustration and gave a sigh of his own while walking over to the window. The faraway look was approaching his eyes again as he became blinded by the image of Kikyou. God, she looked beautiful…her raven hair that always seemed to shine, her lips, her big brown eyes.

But he hated her. Every fiber of his being wanted nothing more than to rip apart the pretty picture that constructed itself to be Kikyou. She did nothing but betray him. All she wanted was personal gain, some benefits to better her own life. She took his love for granted and nearly tore his heart apart while laughing in his face.

He crumpled to the floor, head hanging against his chest as he pulled up his knees.

"_I couldn't imagine living without you, Inuyasha. It's like you opened a door to a new life." _

_Inuyasha gave a small smile, a red tint barely staining his cheeks. "Yeah well…I like to inspire." _

_Kikyou gave a giggle, her breath coming out in soft puffs as the winter air surrounded them. "We make a good couple, don't we?" _

"_I'd say so," Inuyasha replied, grinning._

"_Inuyasha," Kikyou suddenly faced him with a serious look in her eyes. "I just want you to know that I'd do anything for you. I would risk my life if it meant keeping you happy." _

"_I…I would do the same for you, Kikyou." Inuyasha replied, startled at how serious the conversation had turned. Kikyou simply smiled and wrapped her arms around his body, brining him into a soothing embrace. _

"_I'm glad." _

A bitter look took control of Inuyasha's face as he remembered how naïve he had been to trust her. She had been a pretty good actress, that much he'd admit. For god's sake, she had looked him right _in the eye_ and made such a bold proclamation. And now he knew what she really meant – she was glad he'd risk his life for her…because she could gain everything she wanted by using him as an experiment.

He was hers to command, to build upon, to perfect. And she enjoyed every minute of it. He remembered the stone cold look in her once warm brown eyes, the way she didn't do a thing to stop the men from locking him up in the van. He was lost, confused, and above all, hurt.

He swore to himself that he'd never fall for someone like that again – that was a fool's job. He wouldn't let someone take control of him like that, not now, not ever.

--

It was hours later when Inuyasha reemerged from his room, greeted with the scent of many spices and meat. It didn't take long to figure out that Kagome was cooking. Upon entering the kitchen, the smell hit him like a ton of bricks. His tongue could barely be kept in his mouth as he fought the urge to drool. Whatever she was making, it seemed wonderful.

Kagome turned around, smiling briefly at him. Apparently she had decided to let go of her frustration for now.

"Glad to see you're out and about," she said playfully.

Inuyasha snorted and hovered over her shoulder. Kagome felt her eye twitch in annoyance. She hated it when people invaded her space. She tilted her head to give him a sideways glance as her eyes wandered up a few inches to meet his gaze. "Do you need something?"

"No." He said it quite rudely.

"Well, if it's not too much to ask, can you scoot over?" He was awfully close for someone who had made a scene of her reaching to touch his shoulder…not that she was about to complain. It would make everything easier if he got over his fear of her turning out to be Kikyou or some spy or whatever.

He gave a gruff reply and shuffled a few feet away from her.

Kagome opened the cupboard to pull out two bowls. She hummed a small tune as she lifted the pot and ladled spoonfuls of soup into the bowls. Steam unfurled from the food, making Inuyasha more eager to taste it.

"Sango called again. She said that we have to tune in to watch the news at 7:00. Something major…she seemed to be in a hurry, probably on a date with Miroku," she giggled.

Inuyasha gave a small shrug, wandering over to the bar where a few chairs were placed. He gave a delighted smile when the soup was set in front of him and nearly gulped the whole thing. Kagome rolled her eyes before forcing a spoon into his hand. "Use this. It's a lot more…polite."

He glared at her momentarily before beginning to use the utensil.

Kagome poured herself a bowl before going into the living room to turn on the television. She came back, letting the game show that was currently on run. It was only 6:30 so they still had some time. Kagome sat across the bar from Inuyasha, eyeing every little motion he made. She had barely touched her own portion when Inuyasha looked up.

He gulped quickly before extending his arm out to grab her bowl. "Are you gonna eat that?"

Kagome blinked rapidly before staring at the bowl that was ready to be dragged away by his eager hands. "Oh, you can have it…" She pushed away the bowl, watching him lift it to his lips and tilt his head back to let the liquid slide in.

Kagome took in a deep breath, knowing that what she was about to ask was a difficult subject to tread upon. "Inuyasha…just…just out of curiosity and all…how exactly did you meet this Kikyou lady?"

Inuyasha looked up, suddenly aware at the mentioning of Kikyou. His brows furrowed in annoyance and a low growl rumbled in his throat. For a moment, Kagome thought he was going to rip out her throat then and there before he instead opted for an annoyed huff.

"It doesn't matter. All you have to know is that we didn't start out hating each other. Or at least, I didn't."

Kagome's eyes widened in interest. "Wait. Hold up. You mean you guys weren't enemies from the beginning?"

Inuyasha snorted. "No. But everything obviously changed."

"I'll say," she mumbled. "Were you two friends or something?"

"More than that."

Kagome paled slightly. "You mean…dating?"

Inuyasha gave a halfhearted shrug. "Something to that effect…" he trailed off. "Either way, we're nothing more than enemies now. I wouldn't hesitate to rip out her throat."

"Oh…" _That's strange. They were dating but now…what could've possibly happened to create such a strong hate? _"Well, I won't talk about it if you don't want to."

Inuyasha looked at her for a fraction of a second before shrugging. "It's almost 7:00. Let's see what's so important on the news."

Kagome nodded and quickly washed the dishes before taking a seat on the couch.

Inuyasha's eyes suddenly widened upon seeing Kikyou's face on the screen. Kagome instantly recognized her as the cold lady at the restaurant. "That's her," she whispered. Inuyasha barely nodded his head, leaning forward towards the television. He had to control the strong urge to leap through the screen and shake her senseless.

Her long, black hair was down and flowing past her shoulders. All Kagome could see of her was her head till the top of her shoulders. They were squared, and she looked quite powerful. Kagome nearly shivered at how intense her dark eyes were…almost as if she were looking right into your very soul, past the skin and bones.

"We at the Tokyo Central Lab Department have very urgent news." Her voice was smooth and commanding, much like Kagome remembered. "Just recently we have had one of our 'experiments' escape the building, and we are urgently asking everyone to be on the look out of a half demon dog." A picture flashed before the screen, showing a profile-type picture of the very same half demon sitting next to Kagome. "He is highly unstable and could very well be capable of killing someone without remorse. If you have any information, we beg of you to call us at this number." A number flashed below her face at the screen before regular programming continued.

Inuyasha sat stiff and silent, eyes never blinking once. Kagome felt enraged by the false comments. How dare they even begin to lie about him like that! Sure, he was harsh and obviously a fighter, but at this point, she could only see the lab to blame.

"Don't let her feed the public this crap, Inuyasha! We have to stop her!" Kagome demanded, bringing Inuyasha out of his stupor.

"I'm sure half the population or more knows by now," Inuyasha replied tersely, somewhat wondering where this flame ignited in Kagome.

"But you know what I don't get?!" Kagome continued to rampage. "How will the public listen to her?! Don't they know that this lab or whatever is bad if they're claiming they have experiments? And no offense, but humans don't warm up to demons very well, so what's the public have to do with it? They could just turn on _them_!"

Inuyasha buried his head in his hand, before looking back up at Kagome.

"It's all very simple. Kikyou is a human who's reporting it to the public. The demons won't care, those who go around living among humans in their every day lives. But the people, the humans who fear demons will cling to every word she says. She is a human after all, a fellow victim. If they see that she is warning them, helping them…well, they've got every reason to believe her. And, just to let you know, the lab is very good at covering up their shit. The government wouldn't suspect a thing from them."

"Then how would they explain that some 'scary half demon' is running around? Wouldn't people begin to wonder then?"

Inuyasha gave a contemptuous snort. "Oh, believe me – they've got it covered. They just claim they're trying to make it so that they can create something better, something that can ward of demons or offer protection or whatever. It's all a scam, a lie given to the public to calm them down and give false security."

Kagome pursed her lips. "So…what do they really want?"

"Truthfully?" Inuyasha paused. "They want to build the ultimate being. By taking the genes of demons that have been infused with regular animals and taking the genes of regular humans, they want to create something so extraordinary, so unique, so powerful that the world will be under their control. Sounds farfetched, but they have the means to do it."

Kagome remained quiet, letting the newfound information soak in. It was so unreal that she had a hard time believing it. But Inuyasha was living proof that these plans were going on. And at this point, she was liable to believe the unbelievable.

"Can't I report it to the government? Isn't there someway to expose them?"

"Oh sure, the government will completely believe you…after how much praise they give the lab. They think they're actually gaining some benefits from this 'project'. Why would they believe some student? Every student wants to be a rebel in their eyes. Plus, the lab is so highly secured that it would be impossible to expose them. And even if it did happen, hypothetically, then they would find some way of convincing the public otherwise."

"I see…quite a fix we're in, huh?"

"Tell me about it."

"It's a good thing I'm one hundred percent ready to do whatever it takes to expose them." She gave a broad smile, while Inuyasha gave her a somewhat surprised and unsure look.

"It's risky, you know. You can't just walk in there and expect to come out alive with all that information…"

"Whatever it takes."

-o-

AN: Yup, that's the end of this chapter. And I just made up a name for the lab, so yeah. If that name actually exists then I don't own it. Tell me what you think!


	5. My Perverted Hero

AN:And chapter 5 is done! I'm so bad with developing plots fully that I just kind of make it as I go along. That's sort of inefficient of me I suppose and that may be why I take forever to get out chapters. But I don't like thinking ahead too much. Erm, anyways…just read and enjoy.

Disclaimer:I think by now the whole universe knows I don't own Inuyasha.

**The Experiment**

**Chapter Five: My Perverted Hero**

After much convincing on Kagome's part, she was (grudgingly) allowed out of the house to go grocery shopping. Inuyasha had become severely uptight, making sure she took good enough showers and covered herself in some sort of perfume-like scent. Now that Kikyou and Kouga knew, there was a strong chance they'd try and find his whereabouts.

"I'll be okay, Inuyasha! I'm not stupid – I know how to lie."

"You don't look it to me," he retorted.

"Don't be a grump. You can't keep me under house arrest in my own home, you know. Plus, we're _both _going to starve."

"Fine." He snapped, folding his arms across his chest. Kagome gave him a playful smile while making her way over to the door. As she reached to grab her purse, she looked over at Inuyasha, studying his attire. He had been here for at least three days if she was counting correctly, and he didn't have anything different to wear.

"I think we should get you some new clothes…those are torn anyways."

Inuyasha snapped his head in her direction. "And go out in the public where everyone is probably panicking about some demon who kills in cold blood?" He gave a small snort as if to assert she was crazy.

Kagome pursed her lips in thought. "I forgot about that…that was a really low blow, I'll tell you that much. But you can't stay here forever! I'd go insane if I couldn't get out of the house." Kagome glanced at the clock and tapped her foot impatiently. "You know what? Let's discuss this when I get back. I promise I won't be too long!" She called as she shut the door behind her.

Inuyasha stared for several moments at the door, before blinking rapidly to readjust his eyes. Sometimes he wondered if she even understood the gravity of the situation; he wasn't just some kid who was grounded, he was a demon who was on the run from people ruthless enough to do anything…even kill her if they found she was standing in their way.

He had to make her understand that this wasn't some simple game they were playing…this was, as cliché as it seems, a matter of life or death.

--

"Higurashi has left the building," Kouga smirked into the phone.

"Good, good," Kikyou drawled. "Make sure to stay close behind her…Has Kanna reported anything about…what did she say her name was again?"

"Kagome Higurashi," Kouga bit out. "Are you losing your memory, Kikyou? It's a wonder you even remember who we're after."

"No time for banter. Get on that girl's trail before you lose her."

Kouga grumbled a response, easily hanging up the phone and shoving it into his coat pocket before taking off at a leisurely pace.

--

Kagome found that her somewhat cheerful mood had been dampened after having a run in with a girl she met in the elevator. She felt strangely paralyzed while talking to her, and she got the odd sense she was a demon, but at the same time, she seemed almost empty-like, void of any real life-like attributes.

Apparently her name was Kanna and she had just moved in on the floor below her own apartment. Kagome did love kids, but that one was definitely creepy. Her hair was whiter than fresh snow while her eyes were a coal black to contrast it. Kagome unconsciously found herself avoiding the girl's gaze, afraid she might lose her soul or something equally weird like that.

However, upon entering the store and walking for a little bit, her mind was more relaxed, and eventually she forgot about that strange encounter.

Her mind was completely occupied with finding the expiration date of the milk carton she was holding when a deep voice sent her flying through the ceiling.

The milk carton was thrust out of her grasp, but a pair of strong, masculine hands caught it and set it aside on the shelf.

Kagome trailed up from the hands of the stranger to the arms, shoulders, before eventually peering into the face of the man she had seen at the restaurant with Kikyou. Kagome almost gasped aloud upon recognition but slapped on a smile at the last second.

"Sorry to scare you like that," Kouga flashed her a grin in return as she nervously laughed.

"It's no problem! I'm just so clumsy sometimes…" _Terrible save! Terrible save!_

Kouga gave a small chuckle before staring some more at her face. He could see her eyes darting everywhere but his and he almost grinned at her naivety. He would have her within his grasp soon enough, and by then all that would be necessary was a little force and Inuyasha would be at his knees, begging for his life.

He deftly dropped the milk carton in the basket at Kagome's feet. "Is something wrong?"

"No…No why would anything be wrong?" She asked slowly, her mind still spinning.

"Oh nothing. You seem tense is all." Kouga drawled, gazing sideways as if he weren't interested at all. Inuyasha's scent was barely on her and for some reason, the thought that maybe he had been wrong niggled at his mind. But there was no mistaking Inuyasha's scent…the scent of a half-breed…it was all too foul and disgusting to misinterpret. "Anyways, you look familiar…I mean, the minute I saw you I thought you looked like someone I may have seen…"

Kagome swallowed slightly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, replying with an attempted off-handed "I can't say you're too familiar…sorry." Kouga didn't miss a beat.

"Well, I'm surprised. Someone as pretty as you seemed to slip right out of my sight." He leaned in closer to her and Kagome felt herself blushing in his presence, especially with how he decided to step into her bubble. She gave a fake laugh, stepping away from him before bending down to retrieve the forgotten basket of groceries.

"So," he began, falling into step behind Kagome, much to her chagrin. He just wouldn't go away! In fact, Kagome found herself going rigid over his looming presence. All he did was chatter away and he wouldn't let the topic go about how familiar she seemed. It was obvious he was trying to goad her on…make her admit she knew him. But she had to act stupid, like she didn't have the slightest clue as to who he was or what his motives were.

"Seen the news lately?" It was an innocent enough question…to a complete idiot. Kagome felt the hairs on the back of her neck bristle, but she kept her cool.

"Yeah, I've been keeping with it."

"So I guess you heard about the hanyou running loose huh?"

"Mm…" She replied noncommittally.

"What do you think about it?" She was far too hard to enrapture in a conversation. She was like a box that had been hammered shut.

"I don't really know. Sometimes the news doesn't give out full details, y'know? It could be another psycho human on the streets for all we know."

"Well, I think it's pathetic. That creature is running around giving demons a bad name. We're already under a lot of scrutiny you know."

"And what sort of demon are you?"

"A wolf demon," Kouga responded proudly, unable to remain modest at the mentioning of his demon heritage.

Kagome gave a false smile, not too interested…he was far too intrusive, and quite frankly, he was just annoying. And he was being pretty obvious by following her around…didn't he have better things to do? "Does anyone ever give you a hard time for being a, uh, …demon?"

Kouga snorted. "Hardly. They don't mess with demons like us – full-blooded. We're far too powerful anyways."

Kagome didn't doubt it for a minute. And now she was beginning to grow tense. He was hitting far too close to home with the topic of demons and half-demons. Seeing the check-out line in the distance, she eagerly found her escape.

"I have to go now. It was nice talking to you…?"

"Kouga."

She gave a small smile. "Well then, it was nice talking to you, Kouga." And with that, she sauntered over to the check-out line, unable to control her erratic heartbeats. He was so…so…infuriatingly good-looking, but increasingly annoying. Taking her groceries, she looked up and in that split second was met with the sight of Kouga waving goodbye as he walked out of the building.

Kagome sighed, grateful that he was gone. Inuyasha would no doubt have a fit upon hearing what happened…or rather, smelling. First thing when she got home would probably be the remarks about how she smelled like Kouga or whatever. It must be awful having that keen of a nose.

Upon arriving at the apartment complex, Kagome strolled down the hallway, clinging to the bag of groceries in her right hand. It was when she reached her floor that she was met with the sight of rather bored-looking hanyou and an elderly woman that lived across the hallway from her chatting. Rather…the old lady was chatting while Inuyasha seemed to be lost in a world of his own. If it hadn't been for the fact that Inuyasha was actually out in the open, exposing himself like that, Kagome would've spazzed on him for leaving the apartment when she told him not to go out. Imagine if the landlord had been passing by at that minute! She'd be in huge trouble for having someone living in her home without paying extra, not to mention he was a hanyou…

Kagome desperately tried to make sign language with the aloof hanyou behind the woman's back, but he merely snickered at her.

Kagome drew out a sigh, giving up. It's not like any harm could be done…the old lady was blind and deaf it seemed. If anything, all she saw was a tall blob with a lot of white. And she talked in a very, very annoying, loud voice, as if Inuyasha were deaf, not her.

"Hello Mrs. Soujin," Kagome announced, stepping up beside her. The old lady swiveled towards her, grinning broadly.

"You have a new man friend, Kagome!" That got Inuyasha's attention, and not in a good way.

"He…Well…We're not like…" Kagome sputtered, unable to find the right words.

Inuyasha decided to intervene.

"It's been great talking to you, but we're pretty busy now, so we'll see you some other time!" And with that he dragged Kagome with into the apartment.

When Inuyasha heard the door to Mrs. Soujin's apartment open and close, he let out a breath. "God, that woman talks…"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelped. "What was that all about?!"

"What was what all about?"

"Stepping out like that? What if the land lord saw you?! You'd be kicked out – _I'd _be kicked out!" She threw her hands up into the air, resembling a teenage drama queen.

Inuyasha scoffed at this, not one to take the blame. "_You _were the one who thought I was too uptight!"

"Oh hell!" She shook her head and stomped into the kitchen, slamming down her bags of groceries. Inuyasha precariously stepped into the kitchen, not missing the annoyed glare she gave him as she slammed the contents of her shopping bags on the counter.

"Here." She tossed him a bag of chips which he eagerly caught.

Soon the only noises in the apartment were Kagome's groceries hitting the countertop and Inuyasha's blissfully unaware chewing. He was way too much like a dog sometimes…

"By the way – I met Kouga. I'm beginning to think he's following me."

Inuyasha stopped shoving handfuls of the delicious piece of heaven aka chips. That certainly caught his attention. He hadn't even noticed Kouga's scent around her since he had been too busy trying to defend himself. Kagome gave an expectant look, goading him to assert her suspicions.

"Probably. And go take a shower. God, he stinks!" He made a waving motion with his hand against his nose and Kagome almost clubbed him. If he was implying Kouga stank, he was implying she stank as well considering all his scent was on her.

"Gee thanks! Maybe next time I won't get you any chips!"

"Oh come off it! It's not like I was insulting _you_. You actually smell nice. Kind of like flowers and fruit," he wrinkled his nose. "Whatever that's supposed to smell like at least."

Kagome couldn't help but blush at this and so she spun around, hiding her face from view. He didn't seem to take notice of this as he continued to shove the dried potatoes in his mouth. Sometimes he could be so ignorant of what he said! But still…it was a compliment. And it felt nice too.

She sighed and traipsed into the bathroom, peeling off her layers of clothing before stepping into the shower. The hot water felt good against her skin and it _was_ getting colder outside. Without even thinking about it, she glanced at her few selections of shampoo, deciding to pick something a little different because in the back of her mind, she was hoping that Inuyasha would notice. _Kagome! That's so stupid…you're not some kid in middle school and he's not some guy who's in the position to actually care about these things right now…his life is way more important. _

Kagome quickly rinsed the shampoo out of her hair and turned off the water. Wrapping her towel securely around her body, she stepped over the ledge, and that's when she completely lost her balance.

She let out a shriek, her hands flailing desperately to catch onto something. Her heart nearly lost blood flow when she heard the door opening. _OH GOD! _

Before she hit the ground, a hand was tightly wound around her arm, pulling her up easily as if she were no more than air. Kagome's heart was beating quickly, her body still shaking from the little scare. Inuyasha stood there, somewhat frozen. He didn't even know why. And suddenly he seemed to realize she wasn't exactly…decent. But boy, he couldn't stop staring.

Kagome looked down, relieved to see her towel still covering, before snapping her head up to glare at him.

"YOU STUPID PERVERT!" She shrieked. He had obviously overstayed his welcome and she was not going to be too forgiving.

Inuyasha was jolted to his senses when she saw her angered form reaching over for a shampoo bottle. He quickly ducked and bolted out of the door, slamming it shut behind him. Before anything else could happen he bounded towards the kitchen, praying that she wouldn't kill him later…god, she could be so thankless! He just saved her from splitting her head open and she repays him by calling him a 'stupid pervert' and then, as if that wasn't enough to hurt his pride, she opted for throwing a shampoo bottle at him!

Half an hour later, Kagome (who was dressed!) stepped out of the bathroom, her hair dry and back to its natural waves. A scowl crossed Inuyasha's features as he saw her make her way towards him, a sheepish grin on her face.

"I guess I kind of overreacted…"

"No kidding, bitch," he snapped, turning the other way. Kagome bit her lip, forcing herself to keep her raging temper down. _Must. Be. Bigger. Person. _"But I'll overlook it this time."

"Oh gee, I'm so grateful Lord Inuyasha," she drawled. Inuyasha's ears pricked at this.

"Hey, you can start saying that more often you know…"

Kagome laughed. "I don't think so. But keep dreaming."

Inuyasha snorted and leaned back against the counter. Kagome sprawled herself on the couch, loving how her muscles seemed to suddenly unwind after feeling the plush cushions. Her mind sifted through the days events, everything from when she woke up to meeting Kouga and finally to the shower incident (one she preferred to never recall again).

She was about to drift off into sleep when she remembered the little girl she had met in the elevator. She had to suppress a shudder upon remember her. Even though she was only a little girl, she was very creepy. Kagome was almost positive she was a demon, but something about her didn't add up. She bit her lip, wondering if she should tell Inuyasha. It might just add more troubles to his ever-growing list.

Deciding it was better to play safe than sorry, she sat up in her seat and called for Inuyasha. He came into the living room, chewing on an apple. Kagome's eye twitched at this – he was going to suck up all their food supply if he kept at it.

"What is it?" He questioned, sinking his teeth into the apple's skin.

"Well, see, I met this girl today – ugh, Inuyasha! Don't spit! – anyways, she was a little girl who looked really strange. White hair and black eyes…I kept thinking that she might've been a demon, but something about her was odd. It felt as if she didn't have an aura to begin with…but no human looks like that!" Kagome paused. "To my knowledge anyways."

Inuyasha gulped the last of the apple before flicking the stem away. Kagome gave him a caustic look before getting up to retrieve the stem. She walked into the kitchen to throw it away before coming back. Inuyasha turned to look at her, still in thought.

"Any ideas?"

"Possibly. She sounds familiar. I'm almost positive she's a demon though."

"Why do I feel like I'm suddenly being bombarded with demons?"

"I'm half human, ya know!"

"And still half demon."

"Oh, so you're saying you hate demons or something?"

Kagome gave a sharp glare. "No. I'm just saying that only a little while ago I was a regular person, just doing regular, boring things. And now people are after you, and I have absolutely no idea of what to do."

Inuyasha shrugged. "We'll think of something."

Kagome sighed as she put her chin into the palm of her hand. "Easier said than done, dog boy."

He jerked at her new nickname for him, but otherwise kept still, deep in thought. He truly had no clue of how to go about doing this. There had to be someway to sneak in and get their records; once they exposed them to the public, they'd be ruined. But security was very uptight and the chances of them even getting in were slim.

"That's it!" Kagome yelled, slamming a fist into her open palm. "I've got the perfect idea, Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha watched her with a wary look. He didn't like the determined gleam in her eyes…optimism was good, but she seemed to possess a bit too much…

"I'll get a disguise and pretend I'm interested in working at the lab! It's gotta work."

Her jaw slacked upon hearing Inuyasha's muffled laughter.

"What…what's so funny?!"

"Everything. You're way too naïve…that wouldn't work at all. First of all, they do extensive background checks…it's almost impossible to get in. You have to be extremely skilled in what they do, and they don't just hire people right off the bat. Plus Kouga probably knows your scent. You'd be discovered in a heartbeat and _both _our heads would roll."

Kagome sank down in her seat, arms crossed against her chest. It sounded good when she had thought of it…

"Look, we'll think of something. If we stress nothing's gonna happen."

"I guess, but I'm beginning to think nothing's going to work," Kagome replied dejectedly. "There's just got to be a way to outsmart them. Maybe we're just not thinking outside the box."

"Believe me, they're a tricky bunch. They know how to defend themselves."

"But you must know something at least…anything that could help us out."

"It's not that easy," he sneered. "If I knew anything I wouldn't be needing your help."

Kagome glowered but decided not to retaliate. Her head was hurting with all the brainstorming she was attempting to do. Was it really possible that one organization could be that cunning? There had to be a loophole somewhere…

And that's when she thought of it. It may be a stretch, and perhaps she was thinking _too _outside the box but…

"Inuyasha," Kagome turned to face him. "This may not be 100 full proof, but it's the best shot we've got I think."

* * *

AN: Dun dun dun. Some of you might be able to figure it out since I don't think it's too elusive…I hope I'll be able to get out the next chapter within this week. –crossfingers- We'll see! 


	6. Spotted

AN: Chapter 6 already! I'm on a roll it seems. Let's see how long this inspiration burst lasts. This one is more light-hearted until the end I suppose…but you'll have to read and find out!

Disclaimer: That would be a negatory a.k.a I don't own Inuyasha.

**The Experiment**

**Chapter Six: Spotted**

"No."

"But why?!"

"Because. It means you have to get close to that mangy wolf. So no."

"Inuyasha!"

"I don't care what you say anymore! Case closed."

Kagome felt a major headache coming along. She pinched herself at the bridge of her nose, willing the pain to go away. Sometimes Inuyasha could be such a child!

"Listen, this is the only chance we've got I think. It's your chance at getting them back!" Kagome persisted, not one to be shot down so easily. "You may not like it for now, and I realize that, but in the long run, you'll get what you want – your life." She stood frozen in anticipation as Inuyasha's ear flicked unsurely. He was thinking…pondering…opening his lips to speak…

"No."

"Inuyasha! I'm at my wit's end! Stop being a kid and just go with it!"

"You seem pretty eager to get close to that wolf, don't you?!" He accused.

Kagome's jaw snapped open before she clenched her fists tightly at her side. "Don't tell me you're _jealous_. Besides, you can't just accuse of me stupid things!"

"Jealous?" Inuyasha scoffed. "God, you couldn't _pay _me to even pretend to be jealous!"

Kagome was about to retaliate when she instead took a deep breath. Their fighting would get them nowhere. She had to coax him, get him to see it wasn't such a bad idea. She couldn't help but be a little flattered that he didn't want her getting close to Kouga, but then again it may have been because he didn't want Kouga that near him…but still!

The more and more Kagome thought about it, the more sensible the plan seemed. The goal was to get Kouga to keep on dogging after her, even if he was just being false – because really, what she hoped would happen would be for him to get pulled to their side. With a little convincing, she could turn Kouga from an enemy to an ally. And after that, he could easily play between enemy lines and retrieve all evidence needed.

But until then, time was all they had.

Inuyasha had been completely silent through Kagome's musings, staring at the T.V. though not really paying much attention.

"Inuyasha?"

"What?"

Kagome scuttled over to sit by him on the sofa.

"I told you I'd promise to get you out of this mess…and I'd be willing to do anything."

"Right…" he said slowly, not sure of where this was going.

"Then I really do think it's best that we pull Kouga over to our side. It shouldn't be too hard to convince him…"

Inuyasha snapped his head to look at her. "What makes you think he'd be so eager to help us, hm? We aren't giving him any compensation for it! Besides, he's a demon. He has way too much pride to be at the beck and call of a hanyou and a human." He gave a mirthless laugh. "Yeah…that'll be the day I see Kouga frolicking with those beneath him." His eyes softened slightly before bringing a finger to tap the side of Kagome's head. "I'd like to live in their someday. So clueless."

Kagome blushed with embarrassment before swatting his hand away. "It's not just a silly idea! Take this seriously." Kagome suddenly rose to her feet. "Wait a minute…why do I have to have confirmation from you? I can do this by myself!"

"What?!"

"You heard me. I don't need your approval to do this. I'm going to do whatever it takes."

"Fine! I'll go along with your stupid plan! For now at least. But the minute you fuck up it's over."

"Good, and I won't mess up – have a little faith!" She smiled.

Inuyasha found that he couldn't return as enthusiastically.

He was rather unsure of this…it was a very risky idea, getting Kouga so involved. Imagine if Kouga backstabbed them and got him captured all over again? And Kagome would be killed as well…

Inuyasha sighed and leaned back in his seat, willing away these confusing thoughts. He just wanted this to be over. His eyes soon began to close as he immersed himself into his own thoughts, private images that only he could access and understand. The image of his mother came back to him, her smiling face and sincere eyes. What would she make out of this? She had received some negative attention too…marrying a demon and creating offspring.

And then she had been killed for it. Who had killed her, he didn't know. Could've been humans, could've been demons.

It didn't matter though. Dead was dead.

So was he supposed to sit back and accept it as well? His mother had been killed, so why wouldn't he? He was just as bad as a human compared to full demons and just as bad as a demon compared to humans. Someone was going to kill him in the end, so what was preventing him from letting fate run its course?

Kagome, most likely.

She was offering him a lot of hope, the will to live and get his life back. It was almost scary how it seemed to mirror Kikyou's wishes…or at least her false wishes. He could've easily been playing into a trap that Kagome had created, but something about her didn't seem like she could possess malevolent thoughts and desires.

But for now, he'd do as she said and have a little faith.

--

Kagome burst through the door along with Sango and Miroku. In her hands were two bags, each filled with a decent amount of clothes.

"Inuyasha, look! We got you some new clothes and other stuff to help with hiding your identity while outside."

Inuyasha spared her a bored glance before looking out the window as he had been previously doing. He longed to be outside like a normal person…walking around with no care in the world except for what he'd have for dinner that evening or what television show should he watch.

Getting a disguise wouldn't help. It would only make him feel more trapped. But he couldn't refuse, especially when it was pivotal that he find some way to maneuver in the outside world to get closer to his goal – the normal life he so desired.

"That's good, I guess…" he mumbled.

Kagome pursed her lips before walking over to the couches and depositing the bags there.

"I told Sango and Miroku the plan…they're willing to help you out too…"

"Feh."

Kagome felt herself growing annoyed. Couldn't he at least pretend to be excited about it? He should be grateful for all the support that was flowing in for him! But no. Instead he chose to sulk about like a child who didn't get the toy he wanted. True, he had led a difficult life and she sympathized with him, but sometimes enough was enough!

"At least pretend to be happy about it!" she snapped.

"Kagome, it's okay," Miroku tried to assure her, though she seemed far too agitated to care. "Just let him deal with it in his own way. We understand he's alright with it."

"Fine…" she grumbled. "Try these on," she added to Inuyasha, tossing him a bag filled with shirts and pants.

"I will!" He snatched it with a hand before stalking off into his room.

"I was thinking," Sango began in a hushed voice so as to evade Inuyasha's ears. "is this a good plan to go along with? What if Kouga turns on you or what if you can't do it…what if something happens that you reveal too much before he suddenly exposes you? I don't want to sound negative but I'm worried."

"I've thought about it too, but I think that this is the only shot we've got. There are a lot of bad scenarios that I can think of, but I figure we can't let them hold us back." Kagome reasoned, though she didn't sound exactly positive. Rather, she sounded resigned to the fact that there was absolutely no other way out.

"I could offer to help with your, uh…how should I put this…feminine wiles?" Miroku grinned, his violet eyes twinkling rather brightly…

Sango glared at him dangerously while Kagome edged away slightly. She was probably better off without the guidance of Miroku. Miroku's smile faltered upon seeing how irritated Sango was getting.

"Sango if you're jealous, I completely understand –"

"Oh come off it! We all know you just want an excuse to crop a feel. Not that you even need one anyways, considering you do it whenever you please."

"You have wounded me!"

"Stop talking so dramatic," Sango bit out, folding her arms across her chest. He wasn't one to miss the important parts…

Inuyasha suddenly stepped out as Miroku's hand pushed forward to wrap around Sango's butt. A disgusted look crossed his features and he let out a loud "Ew." Kagome nodded her head, unable to contain her agreement. Miroku could be so messed up at times…

"Have a little decency!" Sango shrieked, slapping him on the back of the head, causing Miroku to reel back.

"I don't think I want him helping us," Inuyasha voiced, not liking the way the guy seemed to have bounced right back to get closer to Sango again. "What's he even good for anyways?"

Miroku suddenly snapped out of his perverted thoughts to send an indignant glare at Inuyasha. "I'm plenty helpful! I'm the one who got you to Kagome's apartment that night you were found, you know. Besides, I'm willing to do whatever is necessary." He added, taking on a serious tone.

Inuyasha scrunched his nose, but said nothing further on the subject. Kagome quickly brought up Inuyasha's attired. "It looks good! So the clothes issue is solved, and now it's time for covering up your more prominent features, like the ears and white hair."

"How do you plan on doing that?" Inuyasha questioned cautiously. How exactly were they managing that feat?

Miroku grinned and pulled up the second bag on the couch that had been left behind. "Temporary hair dye!"

Inuyasha's eyes widened before scooting away from Miroku as if he were holding deadly poisons, which in a sense were for his hair…

"No! No way!"

Kagome reached in for one of the hair dye bottles from the bag and brought it up to Inuyasha's face. "We got you black. It'll match your eyebrows, plus it's way more different than white hair. They wouldn't suspect you if they saw you in the street at first glance. And it washes out! Like Miroku said, it's temporary." Kagome peered into the bag. "We got a lot of bottles too. You have a ton of hair, Inuyasha…"

Inuyasha snorted, tossing the bottle back to Kagome who fumbled with it in her hands.

"So?" She asked eagerly.

"Fine."

…

"Are you sure it washes out?"

"Positive," Kagome chirped.

"Let's go try it out!" Sango urged, taking the bag from Miroku while heading over to the bathroom. "Come on, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha grudgingly followed her, Kagome and Miroku trailing not too far behind. Soon all four of them were huddled in the bathroom around Inuyasha who was starting to panic. Everyone was so damn close!

Sango gestured to the toilet, basically telling him to plant his rear down there or else. She then pulled the cap off one of the bottles, setting it down on the counter.

"You have no need to worry. My mom was a hairdresser just to let you know. And all I have to do is spray this, so it's not like it requires much skill! Just cover the white, like coloring a picture inside the lines."

Inuyasha wasn't exactly sure that was a proper analogy…

Sango worked silently for twenty minutes, having used up five bottles already. Kagome and Miroku watched the transformation in awe, already seeing how drastically different he looked with just a change of hair color. Inuyasha mistook Kagome's widening eyes as a look of horror, which he could only mirror.

"What's wrong with it?!" He whimpered, sounding much like a child.

"Nothing!" Kagome and Miroku chorused quickly. Not too convincing on their part…

"All finished!" Sango announced, throwing the last of the bottles away. She hoisted Inuyasha up and shoved him in front of the mirror. His ears immediately flattened against his skull as his jaw dropped in disbelief. He was so…so…different!

Kagome's reflection beamed at Inuyasha's. This was great! He looked very different which meant he'd be pretty convincing once they added the finishing touches.

"We got you a baseball cap and some shades too!" Kagome tugged on his wrist, leading him out of the bathroom. "See?" She clapped the cap atop his head earning an "easy there!" from Inuyasha who mourned for his poor ears. "Perfect."

"'Course you'd say that…" he muttered. His ears twitched. They desperately tried to break free from the cap but Kagome must've had more strength than he thought, for the cap was not budging. Damn.

Sango handed him the shades which he quickly put on. His vision felt distorted. All the vibrant colors were smothered by the tint and it aggravated his senses. Maybe he was just too picky.

"My, my Inuyasha. What a nice transformation." Miroku praised.

"Think so, perv?" Inuyasha mused.

Sango snickered at Miroku's frown.

"We have to test out this theory!" Kagome exclaimed, shrugging on her jacket.

"Theory almost seems too light a word," Inuyasha murmured.

"In any case," Kagome chided. "I'm sure no one will recognize you."

"Let's just pray for that…" Sango mumbled under her breath.

--

Kagome and Sango giggled and gossiped in front of the two men, eating small spoonfuls of their ice cream. Inuyasha glared at the two darkly, wondering how casual and carefree they could be while Miroku had zoomed in on Sango's butt. Those jeans _definitely _suited her.

"Oi!" Inuyasha suddenly hollered.

Kagome and Sango quickly whipped around, both a crease in their brow – it had been a very important discussion! (if a sweater Kagome had seen went better with jeans or a skirt, if anyone cared to know)

"What?" Kagome responded.

"How is it that you two are so casual about this?! I'm freaking out!" He hissed.

"And that's acting normal how…?" Kagome inquired before quickly shaking her head. "What I mean is, if you act weird, you'll look suspicious. Just stay calm," she gave an encouraging smile before returning to the conversation at hand.

"Women…" Inuyasha grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"Beautiful creatures they are," Miroku remarked. Inuyasha raised a brow at this. Miroku smiled. "They are graceful, calm, breath-taking and loving. Nothing satisfies me more than a woman's touch," Miroku sighed. "You should really be grateful for them!"

"…You're pretty odd, perv. I'm keeping an eye on you."

"I speak highly of them! How is that bad?!" He sputtered, quickening his pace to catch up with the hanyou.

"It's creepy," Inuyasha simply responded.

"It's called chivalry." Miroku muttered under his breath. "And for you, it's apparently dead."

Inuyasha snorted. "Never had a use for it."

"I think you should revive it. Especially concerning Kagome. She's doing a lot for you, you know…and she is a beautiful woman, and very kind." Inuyasha felt his eye twitch in annoyance. "…very nice eyes…good hair too…"

"Shut up!" Inuyasha suddenly yelped.

Kagome and Sango suddenly whirled around, shock evident on their faces.

Inuyasha realized his mistake a second too late.

"Sh-Shut up…i-isn't that a…song?" he finished weakly.

"Yeah…" Kagome and Sango drawled before exchanging odd looks and turning around to continue on.

Meanwhile, Miroku couldn't contain his smirk.

"_Jealous_!" Miroku exclaimed softly in a sing-song voice, a tiny smirk on his face.

Inuyasha had to suppress every urge he had to shut up the stupid pervert. He really knew how to push someone's buttons. He wondered how that Sango girl put up with his… 'more than necessary' actions. It must've been a pain. Besides, he didn't care for Kagome in _that _way. And he was sick of people telling him he should be 'grateful'. He was! He truly was. But he just didn't know how to express it and just hoped that others could tell…he had a feeling Kagome could…

_Ack! Don't think about her! _Inuyasha scolded himself.

Suddenly, something pelted his nose before several tiny things hit his face. Looking up, he saw the culprit.

Rain.

He scrunched up his nose in distaste before suddenly remembering something…

His hair! The dye would run out! And it this rate the rain seemed to become harder and faster, more furious as it reigned over the city. People began to run and duck for cover to escape its merciless wrath. As if on cue, Kagome and Sango turned to look at Inuyasha's hair in horror. The black was starting to leak out and small patches of white could be seen.

Miroku quickly snatched Inuyasha's arm as he stood there in a stupor. The four ducked around a corner, praying that no one saw. However, Sango was the last to turn around the corner, hesitantly stopping to turn to glance across the street.

A woman who looked very classy with her designer bag and expensive-looking jacket had her sunglasses hanging limply in her hands, a few inches from her face as if she had suddenly whipped them off. She was staring right at her, her brown eyes holding shock and confusion.

Sango felt like she had seen her before…the glossy, straight black hair…stone brown eyes…smooth features.

And then it hit her.

The lady from the broadcast.

Kikyou.

She had seen them – she _knew_. Sango felt herself growing pale with fear. She prayed that Kikyou had been too late to actually be sure it was Inuyasha. But if she saw…

On the other side of the street, Kikyou watched a woman staring at her. She had a terrified expression before scrambling around the corner.

_Inuyasha…?_

* * *

AN: Another cliff-hanger! Sort of. What will happen next?! Nobody knows. Except me. And even that's a little sketchy. . . 


	7. A New Ally

AN: Sorry for the late update. And, I'm extremely tired since it's 12:30 in the morning and I went to bed at 4:00 yesterday and woke up at 8:00…only four sad hours, so expect some spelling/grammar mistakes. Plus, I've been extremely caught up in Death Note! I spent the whole week watching all the episodes, and then I decided to stock up on the manga, so it's definitely been time-consuming, but well worth it in my opinion. Seriously, if you haven't seen it/read it, do so! It's amazing! And I'm officially a MelloxMatt fangirl…my first shounen-ai pairing I'm really into! w00t!

Ehem...anyways…on with the fic!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha…that's a universal fact.

**The Experiment**

**Chapter 7: A New Ally**

"WHAT?!" Kikyou slammed her palms against the cherry oak desk that was Naraku's.

Naraku barely cast her a glance out of his peripheral vision while twirling a pen absent-mindedly.

"I just don't get it!" She spat. "Here I am giving you valuable information and you're _tossing it aside_?!" Her voice was reaching new levels and Naraku felt a dizzying sensation ringing through his ears. He needed to shut her up soon before he went deaf.

He swiveled easily in his chair, finally facing the distraught woman. "Look. You don't even have a damn photo. You were walking the streets of _Tokyo_ – it's not some desert where there's one person per fifty miles or whatever. Until I see proof, I have no reason to even consider what you said. Besides…you're known to have a problem with vision, or so I've heard…"

Kikyou grit her teeth, unable to comprehend how stupid one person could be. Here she was, giving information that he so desperately wanted, and all he could do was throw it back in her face! She knew he hated her, as she hated him, but this was reaching new levels!

"I just don't see why someone so bent on catching a hanyou would easily give up the information I gave you. Did I mention there's more?" She replied coolly.

"Oh? Did you take note of what clothes he was wearing? Were they top-notch quality? Because I'm sure that's the only thing you observed," he rebuked.

Kikyou folded her arms before letting out a dramatic sigh. "Fine. I guess my help is not appreciated. Rather than waste my time here," she picked up her purse, "I'll just leave."

Naraku remained quiet for a few moments as Kikyou strode over to the door, gripping the handle. Just as she was about to push down the handle and pull the door open, he spoke.

"Perhaps…you can amuse me with any other details."

Kikyou kept her back turned to him, letting a small smirk crawl upon her face. So he was interested, was he? She lost her grip of the handle and turned around, gripping her purse that hung off her shoulder. Her dark brown eyes challenged his ruby ones before she gave up her information.

"I noticed three other people with him. Two girls and another man. They appeared to be human as far as I was concerned. One of them caught eyesight with me before turning around a corner. It was obvious she knew I saw. They're probably having the scare of their lives right now," she added with a mirthless laugh. "In any case, I have to mention that the other girl with him, though I only saw a brief glimpse of her back, looked much like a girl Kouga and I had seen at a restaurant. She's the one we've been trailing…not to mention Kouga said she had the scent of Inuyasha on her."

Naraku raised a brow. "Oh? My, my…looks like he's found a pathetic human shield to hide behind."

Kikyou nodded. "I suspect they're onto us and that they've seen the broadcast." She remained silent for a few seconds before adding in another statement. "I wasn't entirely sure, but it looked like there were black spots in his hair…a disguise maybe?"

"Perhaps. Though it won't help him much. In any case, keep following that girl. She's probably our best bet in finding him and bringing him back." He smiled coldly which Kikyou returned.

She suddenly made her way to the door, sidling through it.

"Goodbye, Naraku."

--

"Are you _sure_?!" Kagome gasped. She flicked a wet strand of hair from her face, reaching over to grab a towel. They had just gotten back to Kagome's apartment, wet and out of breath, save for Inuyasha who seemed to be faring better than the rest, due to his demonic attributes.

Sango nodded grimly. "I saw a lady, and I swear she was the one from the restaurant and broadcast…and if my eyes weren't playing tricks on me, she saw me too. She's probably suspecting us now."

Inuyasha growled before slamming his fist on the coffee table in front of him.

"Damn it! She's probably telling Naraku everything…"

"Naraku…?" The three chorused while swapping confused looks.

"The head honcho, the guy calling all the shots. If it weren't for him, that lab wouldn't even exist."

"Ah…" Miroku nodded. "And is this Naraku fellow a demon?"

Inuyasha furrowed his brow. "He's actually a half-demon…I've never really understood why a half-demon was doing all this…never given it much thought either," he shrugged. "Either way, I don't intend to let him go on doing what he does."

Kagome sat down on the couch, next to Inuyasha. She was staring down at the carpet, lost in her thoughts. She wondered if maybe they were being stalked. It was weird…seeing Kouga _and _Kikyou at the restaurant where she and Sango worked…running into Kouga at the grocery store…and then seeing Kikyou outside at the worst time possible. But she was willing to bet that when Kikyou saw them, it had been by pure chance.

"So…does this ruin our chances any bit?" Kagome asked softly, almost afraid to hear the answer.

Inuyasha leaned back in his seat, folding his arms behind his head. "I don't think so…the way things are going, they've probably been trailing you for a while now." This confirmed Kagome's suspicions.

"The worst part is, they now know two other people are involved…we can't even surprise them with that!" Sango exclaimed, returning from the kitchen where she had made some tea. "They'll find out we're all in on this and catch us if we don't find a way to avoid them."

"And she probably saw my hair," Inuyasha scowled, though he was grateful it was back to its pure white. That rain had been pretty hard…

"But we're only going by probability on here," Miroku countered. "We don't have solid facts. What we need to focus on is likelihood. What's the chance that she took note of all those details in that brief glance? She could've easily just imagined things."

"That's true," Kagome agreed. "But say she _did _see all those things…we have to play it safe here. It's better to play it safe than risk ourselves."

The four remained silent, each divulging into their own thoughts before Sango looked up at Kagome.

"When are you going to start with Kouga?" She gave her a quizzical expression.

Kagome smiled grimly. "Whenever I see him next time; if I'm correct, it should be the next time I go on an outing alone. I have a feeling he's following me so he can get information out…I just hope I can use this to my advantage –" She was promptly cut off by a snort from Inuyasha. Sango and Miroku arched their brows in reaction to Inuyasha's obvious contempt of the subject.

"Will you stop doing that?" Kagome berated.

"You seem to like the idea of getting close to that mutt!"

"Not again!" She hissed in retaliation. "We've gone over this! I thought you agreed to be civil about it."

"Feh…whatever."

Miroku gave an amused smile while Sango twitched her lips upwards. It was amazing how easily the hanyou got irritated over another guy and Kagome…though they would never share these thoughts aloud with the other two. But perhaps Inuyasha just _really_ disliked Kouga…

"Anyways, you should try going out somewhere tomorrow." Sango suggested, taking a sip of her tea.

"Yup, planning to. Let's just hope this goes as planned."

--

Kagome casually walked into the shopping center, letting her self get lost in the sea of clothes. It was easier to go some place where she could immerse herself. That way she didn't feel too paranoid about Kouga or look too obvious as well.

She sifted through many tops, not really liking any of them. They were either too tacky or too bright or too something-negative.

Almost an hour had passed and already Kagome was sort of getting tired of looking at the clothes. She tried on a few things, mainly for the sake of passing the time, but her patience was beginning to unravel when she didn't find any trace of Kouga. Maybe he wasn't following her and that time at the grocery store truly _was _a coincident.

But she refused to believe that. That would be too far-fetched for her liking.

Sighing, she gave bored glances as she pushed hanger after hanger, not finding anything she really wanted. But soon luck must've jumped to her side, for she saw a very familiar face looking at her from just across the rack.

"Oh!" She gave a startled yelp.

Kouga beamed at her. "Looks like I've seen you again!"

Kagome returned the smile, adding in some playful banter. "Are you stalking me?" _Maybe that hit too close to home…_

"Well someone as beautiful as you…it's hard to not attempt it." _Oh-ho. Not denying it, are we…_

Kagome instead gave a light laugh, easily sliding away from him. She knew he'd follow. He had a tendency to act as if he were on a leash, much to her annoyance – but now it would be helpful. She had to keep pulling him along as far as possible.

"It's weird y'know," she suddenly mused aloud. "It's like ever since that time at the grocery store, I kept thinking I've seen you at other places, but here you are now."

"Really?" Kouga replied, grinning slightly so that a canine poked out. "Because I've been feeling that same way. You hold interesting conversations as well."

_Interesting conversations? _Kagome prodded her memory until it finally clicked. _Geez, he's really intent on getting to the topic of demons…doesn't he know that that's a bit obvious? Even if I were some random girl who _didn't _know Inuyasha…I'd still think he was up to something._

"Oh yeah? About those demons, huh?" She might as well bring it up now.

He nodded his head. "It's strange because I've never heard a human who seemed opposed to the idea that a demon is causing problems."

"I just like to give benefit of the doubt," she responded nonchalantly. "It's not like we've had any proof anyways. They never showed us anything on the broadcast besides a picture. I'm not convinced."

Kouga raised a brow while Kagome's back was turned to him. She sounded awfully knowledgeable on the topic…he was more certain than ever that she was helping this hanyou, not that much doubt existed before. And after Kikyou's sightings, he was pretty much set for the fact that Kagome Higurashi, a student, was getting involved in affairs that were no business of her own.

He wouldn't hesitate to eliminate people if the situation arose, but somehow, he couldn't bring himself to picture the idea of killing Kagome. It'd be weird and strange. She seemed too innocent and unaware of what she was getting herself into. But like he thought earlier, he wouldn't hesitate. If she was proving to be an obstacle, then so be it.

"I've been thinking – maybe you're right." This was where he would move in. Give her false security.

"About what?" Kagome inquired, setting a hanger back on the rack.

"About being cautious of what the news tells you. Maybe it's not even a hanyou at all. It's not like they gave us a lot of ground."

Kagome tried to conceal her surprise at the turn this was taking. Did Kouga just seem to side with her on that thought? But it could be a trap. He could easily try to act like he believed her and wanted to help…but she'd make it happen for real; he'd be on their side in no time. If worst came to worst, she could run the pity act – pretend she was so desperate for help, run some sob story along including the fake tears and all the works…she wasn't that petty to know when she needed to beg and when she didn't.

"Exactly." Kagome affirmed. "It's just ridiculous to me. Do you think that maybe they're lying? I know it sounds wrong to assume too much, but it seems really imaginative that there's a hanyou running loose who has the potential to kill people. I haven't even heard of anyone dying because of it."

"You really seem to know your stuff…" Kouga responded in awe.

Kagome shrugged complacently. "I just look at all the facts."

"I'll say…" Kouga mumbled under his breath. It was apparent she wasn't as air-headed as he had hoped her to be.

"Besides, they're only helping the image of demons go down." This was where she'd reel him in for sure. "They got a human to relay the message to everyone. By doing that, they're making it look like it's more of a demon problem than a hanyou problem; they're basically avoiding the fact that he's part human too. Doesn't that seem a little weird to you?"

Kouga blinked, somewhat dumbfounded. He had never really thought of it that way.

"I guess it could be seen as that. But I think on the whole, they're trying to get humans _and _demons to stop this creature."

Kagome felt herself bristling at the idea of Inuyasha being called a 'creature'.

"In any case," she continued. "I think that lab is ridiculous. Why do they even have a supposed hanyou in their possession in the first place?" she challenged. "Wouldn't people and the government get suspicious?"

"Well the govern –" Kouga quickly changed what he was about to say. He had almost revealed information that could only be known by someone who was actually a part of the lab, which would be that the government supported them. "The government probably doesn't think anything of it." He finished.

Kagome raised a brow. _He was slipping. That's good. _"Even so…if I were a part of the government, I'd have to wonder what's really going on. But anyways!" She chirped. "Enough demon talk and government babble."

Kouga felt himself becoming less tense and he easily welcomed the shift in the conversation. She was hitting far too close to home on the subject of demons and the government…but she had brought up a valid point. Why, exactly, did the lab make it look like _demons _were the problem? He knew that they were probably trying to appease the larger masses, namely the humans. But still. It made him angry to know that they were using demons as a way to get their message across. All they were doing was instilling fear into humans and confirming that demons really are hell-bent monsters.

As she walked past him to examine some pants, he was suddenly aware of the scent of Inuyasha. It was faint, but stronger than last time. If she was hiding him with her, then eventually his scent would just become a regular part of her in a way…there'd always be that faint hint.

And suddenly, he knew what he was about to do was wrong, but he couldn't contain himself.

He strode over to the unsuspecting Kagome, cupping her arm as he took down an empty hallway where the restrooms were.

"Kouga, what's the matt –"

"I know you're hiding Inuyasha with you," he prompted, waiting to study her reaction. He saw the twinge of anxiety in her bright eyes, knowing full-well from that very subtle motion that he was dead-on.

"I-I don't kn –"

"Heh, don't even try lying," he soon released his grip on her arm, though there wasn't much space between him and Kagome, not to mention her back was against the wall. Fear tugged at her mind – this wasn't how it was supposed to go! She prayed he wouldn't do anything then and there or at least give them some time to escape before he made a move.

"Get away!" She hissed, finding some inner confidence, though it wasn't much.

Kouga smirked. "Yup, he's definitely with you."

"Well then I guess I know why you're so intent on catching him, Kouga!" she shot back. "Trying to help out Naraku, huh?"

He glared, though he wasn't surprised. Of course the stupid dog would tell her all these things. "And what of it? I'm just doing my job."

"You don't even realize what your 'job' is! These people you're working for are _experimenting _on people, demons, hanyous, whatever there is!" She let out exasperatedly. "Don't you get it? In the end, you're not going to be much for them. They'll forget about you after they get whatever they want."

Kouga let out a laugh. "And how do you even know all this? You speak as if it's fact."

Kagome stared him straight in the eye. "I know you probably don't like Inuyasha, but we need your help…think about it. Would you truly gain anything by helping Naraku? To me it seems like Kikyou is the one that would take all the credit…" she was going on pure chance, hopefully triggering something in his mind that would make him see her point of view clearly.

He stilled for a second, as if mulling over her words. Kagome took this as a good sign.

What she said, even if it was by pure luck, had hit a chord inside him. He'd done a lot of things in the past for Naraku...and he didn't get anything good out of it. Hardly any special treatment. He'd been promoted once all these years, whereas Kikyou received a lot of credit and was climbing up the ladder at a quick, steady pace. Even if Naraku hated her (which was a well-known fact throughout the laboratory), he needed her. She was useful as deceiving as appearances may be.

And…this girl seemed determined to expose them. He could tell just by the way her eyes flashed when talking about it earlier and how desperate she seemed to save just one hanyou. Honestly, he didn't see any reason to continue helping Naraku, except that he couldn't get out of it either. There was the chance that someone could expose them once they left, which meant they had a strict contract.

It would be nice to finally get out of this terrible deal he had made a long time ago, and shove all that smugness they had back in their face.

His brows furrowed together as he pinched the bridge of his nose. Tiredly and slowly, he opened his eyes to gaze at Kagome who was looking up at him expectantly.

"You won't tell, I won't tell."

* * *

AN: Whoopee! Kouga's gonna help! Tell me what you think as always!

And of course, MAJORLY GRATEFUL for all the supportive reviews I've been getting! It's so nice to see all these kind comments and encouragement! I just feel like I don't tell you guys that too often, so I thought I'd let you all know now!


	8. The Ultimate Experiment

AN: I am so, so, so, so, SO sorry for not updating this past month and few weeks. I've been dealing with a lot of school, stress, friends, family, writer's block, and so on and so forth. I wish I could've updated sooner, but either way, here is the eighth chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it!

F.Y.I. – Does anyone else like Utada Hikaru's new song, Heart Station? It's a lovely song, so you guys should listen to it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha…I don't think I'd ever be able to make deadlines either apparently…

**The Experiment**

**Chapter Eight: The Ultimate Experiment**

Kagome found it impossible to fall asleep. Her eyes roved the ceiling for what must've been the billionth time since she retired to her room. Next door, she couldn't hear a sound which was unusual. Inuyasha was usually up, pacing from wall to wall. She wondered if he actually felt at ease. If he did, why didn't she? Did he have a plan? Did he trust Kouga? So many questions flitted by in her head unanswered. This was probably what kept her up.

Shaking her head, she nestled further under her covers, forcing her eyes to shut and stay that way. At this point, she couldn't bear to be pushed down by negative thoughts.

Meanwhile, Inuyasha turned on his side, losing himself in dreams of a past that he used to have. It was odd that Kikyou still plagued him at night like a disease. She was gorgeous, but with his newfound hate of her, he couldn't see past the ugly qualities. As of now, she was a mere husk to him. Beautiful on the outside, cruel on the inside.

In his dream, he had her in his arms, the scent of hair floating through his nostrils. She always smelled of some sort of perfume mixed in with a light vanilla – it was always pleasing to have this scent near him. As he took another inhale of her beautiful scent, his eyes snapped open.

For a moment, Inuyasha was lost, wondering where he was until the walls of the room came into focus. Slowly, he adjusted himself into a sitting position, gazing out the window to the city below. He liked to think of it as a window of possibilities, not a prison.

He rubbed his head, raking a hand through the messy white hair that swept down his back. The dream was replaying in his head like the repeat button had been pressed. And no matter how many times he looked at it, no matter how many different angles he took on the scene…a part of him knew he'd always have a spot in his heart for Kikyou. It made him feel sick. He must've been brain shocked to still retain some sort of affection towards the woman who was as cold as an iceberg.

Glancing to the left, he could practically see Kagome sleeping peacefully.

It struck him as odd, but he had never been in her room before. He felt like he'd be intruding too much, not that he ever showed that sort of politeness on the outside. But he liked to think it was a nice room, one that fit Kagome's shining personality.

Sighing, he dropped back in his bed, feeling more restless than ever.

--

Kouga kicked himself off the ground so that the chair teetered on its back legs. His arm was slung on the back of it as he glared at the cement wall in front of him. He kept replaying the scene in his head where he somehow got pulled over to that damn mutt's side. And now that he did it, he was in a crisis.

This group had their ways of attaining information – the slightest slip and he'd be killed. Maybe even tortured. He swore to himself he wouldn't end up like these other sorry creatures prowling in their cells, looking for vengeance.

Kouga couldn't help but smile to himself. He had the advantage of sifting through the documents of the lab. He could easily access the information, though top-notch security was placed in and around the room the held these files. Naraku wasn't playing a child's game after all.

The government apparently supported the lab, but what counted was getting the public to know. Governments had a tendency to be corrupt – the people would catch on soon enough and turn their anger on them. Honestly, it should be a simple procedure. But Naraku was the real problem and anyone who was willing to defend him.

Getting the files would also prove to be a problem, but only a minor one, or so he hoped. Security cameras were set up all over the room as well as bugs hidden throughout. Naraku didn't hide his distrust of his employees. But in a way, this could be his own undoing. If those bugs were to fall in the hands of an outsider, everything would be revealed. Unless Kouga was missing something here.

For all he knew, Naraku might as well have been the underground dictator of Japan.

He snorted derisively before letting the chair hit the ground again and rising out of his seat. It was late at night, but it wasn't unusual to see him, or other workers for that matter, roaming about. Some experiments that took place in the lab were run specifically at night, depending on what they wanted to find out. Were they nocturnal? Did they feel weaker at night? Did the sun's energy have anything to with their body? Was there a gravitational pull on a certain demon's powers, much like the tide and the moon? Endless questions – anything you could think of – were tested.

A bored look was on his face as he passed the windows of lab rooms, his ending point being Naraku's office.

With mild interest, he watched a man and a woman in long, white lab coats trying to restrain some hybrid demon. It looked beyond feral with saliva dripping out of its mouth and its yellow-green eyes glowing furiously. He could see a few blood splatters on the wall, but that was normal.

He shook his head. Poor bastard would probably be sent to the cavern. The cavern was more like an underwater grotto where more workers of the lab resided. In short, it was the slaughter house for the unusable demons, hybrids, animals and humans. Those that were, effectively, useless.

He had been there only once, witnessing a mix between a cat and wolf being slaughtered. It wasn't a merciful process either. Most of the workers down there were encouraged to have a heartless, sick enjoyment out of their job.

Making his way to Naraku's office, he hesitantly knocked on the door. For some reason, no matter how calm and cool he was feeling, seconds before he was in the presence of Naraku, he could feel his hackles raising. He had that sort of effect on people.

Not a sound was heard, so he gingerly pulled the handle down. He was expecting to be shot, but then laughed mirthlessly. His death would never be an easy one.

He stood in Naraku's office, suddenly forgetting why he had even bothered to come. He had wanted to ask him if it were possible to allow him to look at some documents for 'research', just so his frequent visits to the room where all the documents were kept wouldn't look suspicious. But he was grateful that Naraku wasn't here. Why bother providing a head's up for the guy you were about to screw over?

Kouga scanned the room for a few moments, turning on his heel to exit. Suddenly, something caught his eye. A huge piece of what looked like sketch paper was laid out on Naraku's desk. Curiosity getting the better of him, Kouga strode over to the desk, not touching, but roving over the paper. He was stunned to find it was a full body sketch of Inuyasha.

His nose scrunched in contemplation, reading the notes that had been scrawled off to the side.

It looked like some sort of layout, a plan that Naraku had been working on for a good while. Who else was involved? Or was this some sort of solo project? Either way, Kouga knew he had to get out of here and fast. He simply couldn't risk being caught.

Within in minutes, he found himself holed up in his dingy room once again, his thoughts completely left back at the office where Naraku worked.

The one thing he did know was that he had to warn Kagome somehow that something much more was being put in the works. It wasn't just a mission to get back an escaped experiment…it was something that they _needed_ and would stop at nothing to get. He could feel it in his bones.

Besides, he had seen what was written in the very right-hand corner of the sheet.

_The Ultimate Experiment._

--

Naraku knew a lot of things in his life. He knew when the biggest meetings were set, he knew how to communicate effectively with people, he knew where the best seats in the theatres were.

And he knew when a rat had been sneaking around.

He stood by his desk, hands hanging limply at his side until he lifted one slowly, gently letting his fingers glide the wood of his desk. He could smell the scent of a wolf in his room. It wasn't just any wolf either. It was Kouga.

Now why, he thought, would a wolf need in here? Employees had been told the very first day that anyone who wished to see him had to knock first. It was mandatory – no exceptions allowed. Kouga of all people would know that rule. After all, he _was _one ofhis top employees.

_Was_, Naraku snarled.

He liked to think of himself as tolerant, but snooping was prohibited. It went beyond his calm zone.

Releasing a sigh, he slid into his office chair, letting his finger pads prod his forehead. He had to deal with this in an effective way, one that didn't have any loopholes or unleashed bad karma.

Suddenly, he glanced down at the sketch paper laid out on his desk. The one with all his master plans. The damn dog must've caught sight of it. He highly doubted the guy just stood in his room for two seconds without doing or looking at anything.

Unless Kouga could find a way out of this, he was, in all respects, due for a visit to the cavern.

--

Kagome frowned as she scrubbed one of the plates a little too hard. It had been two days since her encounter and alliance with Kouga. So why wasn't anything happening? She felt almost cheated.

She sighed, placing the dish back in the dishwasher, letting it dry. Inuyasha was holed up in his room, doing god knows what. Probably mulling over his thoughts, trying to grasp some sort of plan out of the current situation. Kagome, annoyed as she was to admit it, knew she couldn't be of as much help until it got to the actual climax. Until then, she'd have to sit tight.

Just then, there was a knock on her door, and Kagome froze. These days, she had become tense as to who was at her door. Glancing warily at Inuyasha's door, she couldn't hear any movement. Deciding she'd just have to risk it, she briskly walked over to the door, lightly placing her hand on the knob.

"Kagome, it's me," a low voice said on the other end.

Kagome instantly recognized it was Kouga's cool, deep tone. She instantly opened the door, sensing the urgency.

She ushered him inside, though he didn't need much coaxing. As Kouga stood in the middle of the apartment, Kagome locked the door, waltzing over to him.

"What's wrong?" She asked, instantly waiting for the worst.

"They're onto me." Kouga replied apathetically, though his eyes showed otherwise.

"What do you mean?"

"Naraku is suspicious of me. I completely and carelessly forgot that although his sense of smell isn't as strong as mine, he could easily sniff me out."

Kagome gave a confused look. "I don't get it –"

"I was in his office when he wasn't there. I found something though, something that you'll need to know. It's about Inuyasha."

Kagome's attention was instantly gripped, and lo and behold, Inuyasha pulled open his door, poking his head out before growling at Kouga. Kouga gave him a sour look back as Inuyasha slipped his whole body outside. Kagome didn't even have to turn around to know a scowl was on the boy's face.

"Calm down, Inuyasha," she berated, not even sparing him a glance. "Go on, Kouga."

Kouga's gaze was on Inuyasha the entire time as he spoke to Kagome. "Naraku has some sort of plan for him. "The Ultimate Experiment," if you will. I don't know what that means, but you should be alert. He wants something."

Inuyasha's brow furrowed in annoyance. "Of course. I had heard Kikyou mumbling about it to herself sometimes…but I never thought anything of it."

"Of course you didn't," Kouga snorted.

"You bastar –"

"Enough!" Kagome yelled, folding her arms. After a few tense moments passed, Kagome wearily faced Kouga. "How did you get here anyways? Aren't they keeping you on surveillance or something?"

"Yeah," Kouga replied. "But I snuck out. I'm one of the top demons there, you know. It would take a little more effort and top-notch security. If dog boy here could escape, I think I can too. That being said, I have to go. I don't know how I'm going to get back to you guys though. Just be on the look out."

Kagome nodded, watching Kouga move over towards the door.

As he gripped the handle, he turned and gave a wink to Kagome, waving slightly.

Kagome felt her face flush with embarrassment while Inuyasha growled quietly behind her.

As soon as the door shut, Kagome felt Inuyasha's eyes piercing into her back.

"What?" She whirled around.

"Don't tell me you actually fall for his crap."

"What 'crap'?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Well. You heard the guy. They need me to make some 'ultimate' experiment." He snorted. "Fuck that."

Kagome gave a bemused look before walking into the bathroom. She had a pile of laundry waiting for her. If the overflowing of the hamper wasn't enough, the smell sure was. Grunting, she lifted the basket up, toddling back out of the bathroom, trying not to pass out.

"Inuyasha!" She called. He was currently holed up in his room once more. "I'm going to go do the laundry. I'll be back in a bit!"

She grumbled and huffed as she went down to the basement where the laundry machines were kept. Carelessly, she threw in some of her underwear, shirts, sweaters, and other clothes before reaching one of Inuyasha's shirts. The one that she and Sango had found him in.

There were some stains on it, and as she put some stain remover on it, she noticed some print on the inside of the shirt, near the hem of the bottom.

It was black, faded print but legible nonetheless. She brought the shirt up close to her face, squinting to read it.

**Property of Tokyo Central Lab Department**

Upon looking closer, she could see an address of what she presumed was the lab's. Gasping at the realization of what this meant, she went searching for a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Rushing upstairs to the lobby, she found the memo pad by the telephone at the front desk. Promptly tearing off a piece of paper and grabbing the pen, she ran back downstairs, excitedly writing down the address.

With Kouga under surveillance, this was the clue they needed.

If he couldn't get them there, then she'd take care of that herself.

Kagome felt a small amount of triumph overwhelm her as she finished the rest of her load, pocketing the small piece of paper.

She hummed a tune to herself as she arrived on her floor, rounding the corner to begin walking down the row of doors when suddenly she paused. A woman wearing thin, high-heeled, black boots with a classy attire that was work-material yet stylish all the same with sunglasses perched on her head was walking slowly down the hallway, a piece of paper in her hand in as she glanced to her right. She was looking for one of the apartments. There was no mistaking the pale, flawless skin, brown eyes, and, sleek, straight, black hair that fell to her waist.

Kikyou.

Kagome felt her stomach lurching forwards like a cart getting ready to push itself up the roller coaster's first hill.

How did she get here?

She had to warn Inuyasha somehow. Before Kikyou could register the fact that Kagome was a mere few yards away, Kagome ducked around the corner, her heart hammering against her chest.

How could she possibly warn Inuyasha at this point?

--

Kikyou pulled up to the apartment complex with little interest etched on her face. It looked rather plain and boring to her. But in any case, if their beloved little hanyou was lurking in there, then she had no choice but to haul his ass out.

Wasting no more time, Kikyou grabbed her purse sitting on the passenger seat before getting out and slamming the car door shut. Briskly locking all the doors with the push of a button, she set off inside. As she walked inside, standing in the middle of the lobby, she rummaged around in her purse before finding a small piece of torn paper with the girl's apartment number scribbled on it.

"Apartment #203…" She smirked as she looked down at the paper, her feet already set in motion. How easy it was to get information these days…

Naraku had ordered that she go and retrieve Inuyasha right away. They couldn't afford to make the retrieval of Inuyasha nice and flawless when they needed him _now_. As long as no spilled any secrets…

Kikyou climbed the floors, skimming over the rusted gold numberings on the doors, until she found the 200s hallway. As she glanced to her right to find #203, her head turned sharply to face forward. She thought she had seen someone spin around the corner. She merely shrugged to herself. Obviously she was just seeing things. In any case, she got Inuyasha right where she wanted him.

She couldn't help but have her lips curl upward into a self-satisfied smirk as she knocked lightly on the door.

--

Inuyasha yawned and stretched his limbs as he walked out of his room at the sound of a knock. His ears swiveled curiously, wondering who it could be. He highly doubted Kouga managed another feat of escape, nor would he have any reason to come back again within the same day, unless he really liked to screw around with the security back at the lab. He had a tendency to be stupid sometimes.

Scratching his side irritably, he made his way over to the door, stopping a few feet away from it, watching the door knob intensely. Should he open it? It could be those two friends of Kagome's…or Kagome herself. She had said something about laundry. Maybe she needed help getting in?

Shrugging (and thinking that maybe he was over-analyzing _too _much), he opened the door, only to have his eyes widen in shock.

"…Kikyou…?!"

Kikyou smirked, folding her arms as she gazed up at his incredulous face.

"Miss me?"

* * *

AN: Is Kikyou bad ass or what? Or maybe that's just me… 


	9. Decisions

AN: Okay, before I start groveling on the ground for forgiveness, OH-MY-GOSH! I just read the Inuyasha manga ending, and I just about bawled. (for good or bad, you have to find out!) but I am sooo sad that it's over! (_sobs_) Okay, okay, now that I'm done with that! I'm so sorry I took like…longer than a freaking ice age to update! Writer's block, family, friends, school (_school_…grr…_finals_…ugh, glad _that _is over!), and mainly friends (I'd rather blame everything on them! Just kidding! Love ya guys! :P) Anyways, so I totally scrapped out the old plot I had (more like forgot) and in the spur of the moment came up with this! MEANING – plot holes abound I'm sure. If not, yay for me! If so…well…what else did you expect after 4 (eep!) months? ON WITH THE FIC!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

**The Experiment**

Chapter Nine: Decisions

For the longest time, Inuyasha felt as if he were in a dream-like state. Every function in his body had come to a grinding halt, and his eyes were locked on the woman in front of him. It had to have been a nightmare…a terrible one, but a nightmare nonetheless. After all this effort of planning, hiding…she had finally trumped him. He couldn't believe the stupidity of his action, and sorely regretted it. And what about Kagome?

Kikyou pushed him inside, shutting the door behind her. A cold look was set in her eyes as she took slow, meaningful steps near the stunned hanyou.

"This is such a pity, isn't it?" she drawled, stopping for a few moments before circling around him. "I never thought it would end up all like this, huh?"

Inuyasha kept his mouth snapped shut. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of screaming or injuring her…not yet at least.

"What's funny is how after all this running away you've done, you're right back where you started." She paused thoughtfully. "I'd almost feel bad for you, but let's be honest!" She let out a short, shrill laugh. "I always did love my career."

"Of course," he bit out slowly, the words slipping out of his mouth not of his own volition. She had a way of dragging what she wanted out of him; in this case, it was a reaction.

"Hm, well, I'm not wasting my time." Kikyou stated in a brisk-like manner. Within mere moments, Inuyasha found the woman standing a few inches away from him. She tugged on his white tresses, crashing her lips onto his with such intensity that Inuyasha was sure a bruise was already formed. He thrashed about, but Kikyou's iron grip on him somehow kept him down. If he really wanted, he could've pushed her away. If he really wanted, he could've ripped her apart in mere seconds. If he really wanted…his mind clouded over, and he slowly found himself kissing her back, responding out of pure instinct.

Kikyou gave a mental smile. It was a little emotional trick she had up her sleeve. She'd remind of him what they _used _to be, and by doing so, she had bought all the time she needed.

In her back pocket was a tiny tranquilizer filled with a fluid that would cause temporary unconsciousness. She had filled it up all the way, though she knew only a minimal amount would have enough power to knock the hanyou unconscious.

Gliding her hand quickly and cautiously, she drew out the tranquilizer, feeling a strong surge of victory course through her veins. With this feat, she'd be back in Naraku's good graces for a very long, permanent stay. And with that came many advantages. She would _not _mess this up.

Kikyou wrapped her arms around Inuyasha's neck, deepening the kiss. She fingered the small object in her left hand lightly, waiting for the perfect moment. And then, with one quick motion, she had injected the fluid into his bloodstream.

Inuyasha pulled away as fast as lightning, shock evident in his amber eyes. Kikyou smiled grimly, tugging away the tranquilizer from his exposed neck. He tried to form words, but he felt an overwhelming sense of drowsiness. She stepped back from him, watching the scene with cold, unfeeling eyes. Within seconds, he was out like a light, unaware of where he would wake up a few hours' time.

So caught up in her task and musings, Kikyou didn't notice the girl standing at the door. A basket had fallen at her side, her expressive eyes wide open in shock. She looked paler than a sheet, her mouth gaping like a fish.

"What have you _done_?!" She shrieked, rushing towards the fallen boy.

Anger mingled with fright overwhelmed Kagome's senses as she pushed Inuyasha onto his back. His eyes were shut, and Kagome feared for a moment that he was dead. Only when she caught the fluttering of a single pulse did she relax. But only for a second. She whirled around to yell at Kikyou, to do something, _anything _to get revenge for what she had done.

The woman stood by impassively before sending a swift kick to the girl's stomach. Kagome gasped in pain and shock; above all, she felt defeated for letting Inuyasha get attacked like that and even weaker for allowing Kikyou to subdue her. She winced, struggling to raise herself up in a sitting position. Kikyou crouched beside her, a pitying look in her eyes.

"A girl like you shouldn't have to suffer like this," she said quietly, running a hand through Kagome's hair before suddenly injecting Kagome with the fluid as well. Kagome, who had been struggling to keep her eyes open after that blow, felt her eyelids drooping. It took less for her to get knocked out, seeing as she was only human. Inuyasha on the other hand had some demonic attributes which slowed down the process, but just barely.

Kikyou rose to her feet, eyeing the scene with distaste. At least this part had been taken care of.

She turned around only to see Kanna's lonely figure by the doorway. She jumped slightly before setting a scowl on her face.

"You need to stop being so creepy!" She huffed. "In any case, we'll be needing backup."

Kanna nodded listlessly before disappearing.

Kikyou let out a huff, shaking off her nerves.

That girl was downright creepy.

--

Inuyasha's eyes fluttered momentarily before opening all the way. His ears ticked in an alert manner as he studied his surroundings.

White walls surrounded him, a sort of sterile atmosphere in the air. Panic surged through his veins and animal instinct took over as he looked for a way out of the locked room. He needed to get out before he went insane; he might already be far too gone. Memories of knives and electrical objects whirled around in his head, him yelling at images only he could see.

A clear rectangle, rather, a mirror, was embedded into the wall on his left. Despite its appearance, Inuyasha knew that it wasn't really his reflection he was looking at – it was at sadistic people who couldn't be seen but could easily survey him. A rush of anger swept through him, and his claws ached to rip someone apart. Names floated by, like Kikyou, Naraku, Kouga…_Kagome_.

Kagome!

Panic replaced his fury, desperately wondering what happened to her. Maybe nothing…maybe she was safe back at the apartment, chatting with Sango and Miroku…maybe she was happy…maybe she was _glad _to be rid of his presence. After all, he'd only endangered her beyond belief.

The sound of a door opening grasped his attention, and he snarled, prepared to fight whoever it was.

Naraku stepped through the portal, two armed men following suit. Naraku looked alarming in such a sterile, white setting, his black suit and hair contrasting. His crimson eyes set themselves directly upon the hanyou, a cold smile spreading across his face. Hands clasped behind his back, he paced himself easily towards Inuyasha. Stopping all but ten feet away from him, Naraku cleared his throat.

"You sure pulled a stunt there, dog." He laughed darkly.

Inuyasha growled, flexing his claws which in return made the two men behind Naraku tense.

"Now, now, don't get so angry," Naraku chided calmly. "All you have to do is make a little agreement with me, and we can just forget that this little _episode _ever happened." He watched the hanyou before him, waiting for a response.

Inuyasha frowned slightly, wondering where Naraku was going with this.

"What do you want?" He hissed finally, the first coherent words spilling out of his mouth in hours.

"We'll discuss terms after you agree." He said shortly.

That couldn't mean anything good, Inuyasha decided. Obviously it was such a ludicrous deal that he was waiting for him to agree before dragging him out. But what choice did he have? He needed to get out somehow. Maybe he could just play along until time came over to his side.

"Where's Kagome?" Inuyasha whispered harshly, deciding that his decision would be made depending on her.

"Oh, the little, human girl! I almost forgot about that." _Like hell you did_, Inuyasha snarled. "Here's the thing, dog, since you're being so difficult. I'll put it down to strict, understandable words. Either you forfeit your freedom for her safety, or she dies while you can run free and do what you please, though your outcome will solely depend on you should you choose that. We won't be responsible for any…unfortunate business.

"I do hope you choose wisely…" Mock sympathy was in his tone, though Inuyasha knew he was having a good time.

But Inuyasha knew from the minute Naraku said those words that he'd never endanger Kagome. He didn't know where the fierce loyalty came from, but he decided that in the end, he really did trust her, and to risk her life even further was unacceptable. She was actually the first human…_being_…to accept him in a long time since his mother and father's death.

There was no way he could allow her death to rest on his conscience.

"You win," he grumbled softly.

--

Kagome clenched her fists repeatedly, feeling anger surge through her. She had been drugged, locked in some cell in a place she could only assume was the lab, and she was _dying _to get out! She kept thinking of Inuyasha and how he was doing, afraid that Kikyou had done something horrible to him. Perhaps even death…_No! Stop Kagome! No time to think about that…_

She had to find a way out. There just had to be some sort of stunt she could pull. But after thinking for an hour, she was beginning to grow impatient. Nothing was possible in such a place! It's not like she could use a bobby pin (not that she even had one) and make a great escape; this place was high tech with pin pads to lock and unlock doors.

_Ohh! When I get my hands on these jerks, I'm gonn-_

Her musings were abruptly stopped when the clear, cell door slid upwards. She hadn't noticed the man standing there.

"Hey you!" Kagome yelped, scrambling to get up. "I wanna have a talk, buddy!"

He raised a brow before grabbing her upper arm the minute she stepped within range.

"Let go!" Kagome grimaced, clawing at his hand. But it wouldn't budge and Kagome could feel her energy draining by the minute. "I'll scream!" She warned.

The man finally laughed. "Yeah, right. Like that'll do you any good."

Kagome huffed, eyes searching for some sort of escape.

Finding none, she turned her attention back to the man who was yanking her down the sterile hallway. "What are you doing?"

He ignored her, simply yanking her harder causing her to stumble over her own feet. "Thanks for nothing, jerk!" She yelled, earning another sharp tug.

They soon pulled to a stop, another man standing at the end of the hallway in a full body suit that was a dark gray color. The man holding onto Kagome handed her off to the other. "Take her down to the caverns." The man nodded quickly, taking a hold of Kagome.

"What?!" She yelped, suddenly feeling scared. "What are the caverns? Answer me!" A desperate edge was on her voice, though the man ignored her, swiftly taking her down a hallway before going down a case of stairs. It was dark and foreboding, though Kagome didn't have much of a choice as the man dragged her down with him.

The walls soon faded to craggy, rock-like structures, and Kagome had the feeling they weren't in the lab anymore…at least the building part of it.

Within minutes, she found herself standing in a damp cavern, only a few lights surrounding the walls. She sniffed slightly at the damp smell, but took the time to focus on her surroundings. A pool of water was gathered not too far from her, a small docking area just nearby. Turning her head away from there, she felt her breath hitch in her throat when she caught sight of dark red stains on the wall which looked black with only the flickering of a flame beside it.

All of a sudden, a tiny movement caught the girl's eye and she gasped.

"Kouga!"

He stirred lightly, before lifting his head up all the way to meet the sight of a frazzled-looking girl.

"K…Kagome?" he answered, dipping his head slightly. He was so tired.

The man holding Kagome roughly pushed her towards Kouga's spot. Kagome squeaked in surprise before fighting back. She hated how everyone here just pushed and shoved like she was some sort of object. The man grunted as she tried to stand her ground. His annoyance was increasing as she struggled to push _him_.

"Stop wasting time, girl!" He barked, shoving her forward roughly so that she toppled to the ground. Already she could feel a bruise forming on her head, but that gave her an idea.

She kept her eyes closed and pretended she was knocked out completely. The man let out an irritated sigh, bending down to haul her up. Kagome's eyes shot open as she swiftly kicked him in the groin. She sat up fully when she saw him bend over in pain.

"You little…bitch!" he gasped in pain, curling into an almost fetal position. Kagome let out a breath, relieved to have thwarted him for the time being. She had to act fast though. Anything could be happening while she wasted her time down here.

Turning to Kouga, she noticed his hands were cuffed, the chain attached to the wall. His normally bright, ice blue eyes were dull and half-lidded, bruises marring his face. Her mouth pulled into a tight frown, hating to see him this way. Naraku must've sent him here after finding out he had been sneaking out to warn her and Inuyasha. She felt a huge amount of guilt steady on her shoulders which only made her more determined to get them out of here.

Kagome knelt down by the man, smacking his head for good measure (she didn't want him getting up any time soon) and found a ring of keys in his pocket. Grinning in triumph, she rushed over to Kouga's side.

"What are you doing?" he mumbled softly, eyes unfocused.

"Helping you out of course," she replied, struggling to find the correct key. She had to work quickly before someone else came down here. Luck was definitely on her side when no one else had been down here to see her little stunt. "Got it!" The cuffs fell off of Kouga's wrists with a clang on the hard surface.

Ever so slowly, he moved his arms back out in front of him, taking note of the blisters on his wrists. They'd heal soon thanks to his demonic attributes, but they still hurt like hell. And he was weaker than ever after no nourishment and a few beatings he had taken. Looking at Kagome, he realized he practically owed her his life.

"Thanks," he responded gruffly, a ghost of smirk on his lips before rising to his feet. He swayed lightly, Kagome immediately rising to her feet, anxiously fluttering about him should he lose his balance. "Let's go save the stupid puppy."

--

"Naraku, you are a devious one," Kikyou said, smirking lightly.

He looked up from his desk, clutching a pile of papers. Raising a brow, he snorted softly and continued rifling through for something. "Don't try to suck up."

Kikyou rolled her eyes. "Full of it, of course," she sighed, dropping herself in one of the leather chairs.

"What do you want?" Naraku asked, not taking his eyes off of his task at hand.

"I want to know what you plan to do with Inuyasha."

"And your concern is because…?"

Kikyou let out an exasperated sigh. "I had to go through a lot of trouble to get that dog here! And that girl too. Which by the way, clever as I said earlier. I knew it'd be completely out of character for you to actually let her go."

Naraku chuckled softly. "As if I'm that kind-hearted…or stupid for that matter."

"Of course, of course…say, where is he anyways?"

"Locked up in a cell. One with much better security…can't have him repeating the same tactics to get out again." He sighed, unrolling a document left to the side of his desk. It contained the very picture of Inuyasha that Kouga had seen earlier…the one that led him to his pending death. Kikyou prowled around to his side, leaning over his shoulder.

"Hm…this is the plan, eh?"

Naraku nodded mutely, studying them once more.

With all these parts fused together, a demon so powerful and resilient against death would be created. One who could withstand cuts and bruises, guns or knives, one with no ugly side effects such as its power weakening depending on phases of the moon.

He smirked to himself; the government knew all about this. It was exactly what he wanted as well. And it made sense. Every country has its enemies…and with enemies comes war. And that was where Naraku came into play; he was producing, in all respects, war machines. How could a country lose if their army never failed?

Kikyou smiled while roving over the thoughts and ideas scribbled all over the paper.

"Who says money doesn't create happiness?"

--

Kouga brought Kagome over to a room in the caverns which stored a few supplies. And with those supplies also came extra uniforms lying about.

"I'm going to wear one so we can sneak back up there…if we're lucky, we won't run into any demons who can sniff me out."

Kagome nodded hesitantly, turning around to let Kouga change into the standard, gray bodysuit. He tugged on a cap, jamming his hair underneath so that he would look less recognizable. Kagome turned around once more, eyeing him cautiously. They had to be extremely careful, and she wasn't willing to take any chances.

"Think this will work?" she asked hopefully.

Kouga nodded grimly. "It's all we've got to work with for now."

"What about me then?"

He grinned slightly. "Just what I was about to get to. I'm hoping that, with a few stupid humans – no offense – that they will mistake you for Kikyou. Nobody would bother to mess with you that way. But you have to act like her. You can't look timid or happy or anything…usually she walks tall and confident, with a glare on her face. Don't look fidgety or spaced out." He warned.

Kagome nodded, gulping slightly…Kikyou certainly had the reputation…but that was completely far-fetched! Nobody could be _that _stupid to mistake her for Kikyou! Surely they'd know their own co-worker…

But for now, she'd have to do what she could.

Together, the pair walked up the stairs, looking completely unemotional as they did so. Their pace was brisk and confident, Kouga's head lowered slightly to avoid having his face being seen. A few people passed without a second glance, and Kagome silently cheered before schooling her face to a perpetual frown of annoyance.

"Now," Kouga whispered in her ear, causing her to jolt. "Ask someone where his cell is." She nodded.

A few minutes later, they passed a man walking by with a lab coat on. Kagome, in the most haughty manner she could muster, grabbed the man's attention.

"You. Where's Inuyasha's cell?" She asked, hoping it sounded more like a demand than an innocent question. The man looked startled from actually having been spoken to by _Kikyou_ of all people…a person who could rival Naraku on the scariness scale.

"Floor Three, Cell block 7C," he replied, checking a clipboard he had been holding.

Kagome barely spared him a nod before striding down the hall. Kouga followed suit, a small smile on his face. "Perfect. You're a natural."

Kagome flushed but quickly frowned, concentrating on finding an elevator.

"Here," Kouga motioned, turning to the right. They stepped into the elevator, Kouga pushed the button marked '3' before standing still.

His whole body was tense, and he feared that they might be caught any second. As the doors slid open, he felt his breath catch in his throat before sighing out of relief. So far, so good.

Kagome stepped out, murmuring '7C' to herself, glancing at each cell on her right and left. Kouga grimaced at some of the creatures locked up, most looking mutated rather than human or demon. "Inuyasha!" Kagome's yelp caught his attention and turned to the right to see a familiar hanyou slumped against the wall, eyes shut and body limp.

"He's not…dead, is he?" Kagome asked, fearing for the worst.

"If we don't get him out now, then yes."

Kagome gulped before catching sight of a pin pad. "Damn it! What's the code?"

"112707," a voice called out.

Kagome and Kouga froze in fear.

* * *

AN: So the code to Inuyasha's cell is actually the date of when this fic was published. Clever ain't it? Not really, but I just needed a number. Uhm…who is it?! Dun dun dun…you'll have to find out…and hopefully not four months later…(_dies out of embarrassment and shame_)

OH YEAH.

How do starfishes make babies? Anyone?

I'm too lazy to look it up...(_sigh_) so is the tragedy of perpetual laziness...


	10. Some Serious Dogpaddling

AN: Wow…another update already! So I totally wanna write a Code Geass fic because I absolutely love the show, but I am shipping confused and sadly enough, I am not COMPLETELY familiar with the plot/characters…which, don't worry, I'll figure it out soon enough…it doesn't take me too long to become an expert on a show…well…sometimes. It's just that I prefer to be very familiar with a show…like obsessively, insanely familiar…Hah, anyways, mindless rambling…

A big thanks goes to **Jeanniestorm** and **Neomeneomine **for answering my completely ridiculous question about starfishes! THANK YOU! It's just one of the many inane things I think about at night before going to sleep…

ON WITH THE CHAPTER!...oh wait, there's the blasted disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

**The Experiment**

**Chapter Ten: Some Serious Dogpaddling…**

Kagome looked up sharply to catch the sight of a young woman approaching them down the corridor. As she came into view, Kagome noticed her black hair was pulled into a ponytail up so high and tightly that it looked like a bun. A small white pin decorated it as well. But what grabbed her attention were the scowling crimson eyes. They held an unapproachable look, and Kagome was feeling slightly nervous around her.

Chancing a glance at the wolf demon beside her, she looked up to see him snarling slightly. His ice blue eyes were trained solely on the woman, and Kagome saw his claws flex slightly.

Turning her head back to the woman, she gave her a quizzical look. Was she a friend or an enemy? She did after all give the code to Inuyasha's cell.

"Kagura," Kouga spat.

The woman, Kagura, shot up an eyebrow with a mocking edge. "What is it, wolf?"

"What the hell are you doing here? Shouldn't you be off helping Naraku?"

Kagura folded her arms against her chest stiffly. "Shouldn't that be a phrase saved for _you_?" She retorted sharply. "Besides, I have no ties to that bastard."

Kouga sent her a mocking smile. "Feeling pretty brave all of a sudden, eh?"

"That's none of your business!" She yelped, losing her formerly cool disposition. "Now open up his cell instead of wasting time."

Kagome rose to her feet and glided a hand over to the pin pad, looking at Kouga for permission. He merely nodded his head, and Kagome punched in the numbers. Immediately the clear cell door rose upwards, lodging itself out of view in the tiny slot in the ceiling. Kagome rushed forward, kneeling beside Inuyasha who had scrapes on his cheek caked with dried blood. Worry shot through her.

"What do we do now?" She asked.

Kagura glanced down the hallway, checking to see if anyone had been approaching before resting her eyes on the girl.

"We'll take him out of here and go down a generally unused staircase. From there, take him out to the caverns –"

Kagome gasped lightly, earning a glare from Kagura.

"Not to torture him, idiot!" She hissed. "We take him there, and there will be a boat ready by the docking area. The cavern is pretty far away from the main department, so it'll be harder for them to spot you. It's dark out anyways."

Kouga stood silent for several minutes before accepting this. He turned to Inuyasha, gently shoving the young girl away. Struggling, he hoisted Inuyasha over his shoulder, wincing slightly from the pressure. His body had already taken a toll no thanks to Naraku's damn flunkies. Kagome followed like a moth attracted to light, consistently fretting around Inuyasha much to Kouga's chagrin. Although, had it been _him _in this position, he would've admired her loyalty and concern.

Kagura led the way, heels softly clicking against the black, marble floor. She walked with confidence and ease, as if the mere fact that she was betraying her superior meant nothing to her – like a walk in the park.

"Here," she said quietly, pushing open a door at the end of the hallway.

The group silently trudged down the stairs, Kagura walking ahead to make sure no one would appear around the corner. She was right when she said that generally no one used this staircase. It even _looked _abandoned. Kagome kept glancing at Inuyasha hanging unconsciously on Kouga's back. She hoped against all odds that they would make a clean getaway. They had come so far to just suddenly mess it up!

Silently, Kagura led them down a hallway and soon enough, Kagome began to recognize where they were. They were nearing the staircase that led them to the caverns. She suppressed a shudder, not liking that place one bit. Kouga didn't seem to show any reaction as he nimbly descended the stairs.

Kagome couldn't believe their luck as far as not approaching anyone on their way to the caverns. It was as if fate was siding with them for now. _And hopefully till the end_. Once they entered the caverns, Kagome froze. There stood a man in the standard gray uniform, studying something that she could only assume were papers laying on the small control podium.

"This is annoying," Kagura remarked before stepping ahead of Kouga and Kagome. Kouga paused in walking, gesturing for Kagome to stand still. Watching intently, Kagome saw the way Kagura so boldly stepped ahead, letting herself linger out in the open. Though her back was turned to the pair, Kagome instantly knew what she was planning to do as her arm moved inside of her jacket.

A gun gleamed in the dim lighting before Kagome saw the bullet spiral out and hit the man fatally. She gasped sharply, feeling sick with the way blood leaked out of his wound. The suit darkened as his body fell to the ground with a thud.

Kagura stood frozen momentarily, checking to make sure the bullet really had hit its mark before trotting back over to Kouga and Kagome. Pocketing her gun, she smiled. "I love silencers."

Kouga rolled his eyes before catching sight of a boat and making great haste towards it. Unceremoniously, he dropped the hanyou into the boat, earning a small cry of indignation from Kagome. He easily ignored that, gesturing for her to get in, which she did.

"Let's get out of here before he finds out his precious experiment is missing," Kouga snapped. Kagura stepped into the boat, eyes flickering with annoyance at the wolf.

"Now, we have to be careful. Guards are stationed just outside." Kagome gawked.

"What?! I thought you said no one would see us!" She squeaked.

Kagura rolled her eyes. "Well _obviously _no one will see us _minus _the guards." She paused momentarily. "Not that it's a problem anyways."

"Oh?" Kagome raised a brow.

Kagura smiled wickedly. "Don't forget the gun," she said in sing-song voice.

Kagome paled at the mere thought of seeing _more _people die. She did it so swiftly and carelessly too! Kagome would forever have the guilt of killing people resting on her conscious if she were to be the one shooting. Kouga caught her anxious look while rowing the boat.

"Don't worry. These people are malicious anyways. They don't deserve to go on living for all the shit they've done. Just look at the puppy and myself if you'd like to get an idea."

Kagome nodded, smiling briefly at his attempt to calm her down. Still…

"Alright," Kagura stated, pulling out her gun slightly. "Row a little further until I say stop."

Kouga let out a quiet growl. "Do _this_, do _that_," he mocked quietly in a high-pitched voice under his breath. Kagome stifled a laugh.

"Stop," Kagura commanded before aiming for one guard. His eyes widened in shock, but it was too late. He collapsed and toppled into the murky waters. The other guard positioned across from his fallen partner took aim for Kagura. He fired his gun, and Kagura cursed loudly before taking aim and shooting the man. He fell over into the water as well. "Row! _Row_!" She hissed.

Kagome caught onto the urgency in her voice and immediately felt the trepidation rise in her chest.

"What's wrong? What's going on?"

"Now that he's sounded a shot, others have been alerted. We have to get away quickly before they catch us. Then it'll be a punishment far worse than the caverns," she explained through clenched teeth. Kagome let out a soft moan. This wasn't going at all how she expected…_Wait…what _were _you expecting? To just ask them 'Hey, can we have Inuyasha? Thanks, bye!' Hah. Leave it to me to think up something so painfully stupid…_

Kouga continued to row with vigor while Kagura kept an eye out for guards. She suspected they'd arrive within a few minutes. Meanwhile, Kagome kept her eyes trained solely on Inuyasha; she couldn't tear her eyes away from him. It was as if she _needed _to look at him…make sure that every second he was alright.

"Shit," Kagura cursed quietly. Kagome looked up with a jolt.

"What is it?"

"Guards are coming."

"Why can't you just use more bullets?" Kagome asked, though the very idea of shooting someone sent a lurch in her stomach.

"Because!" Kagura snapped. "I only have so much ammunition with me…besides, we can't take care of _all _of them."

Kagome sighed, looking around for some sort of escape before feeling the boat rock violently. Looking up, she saw Kouga standing. "What are you doing?!"

Kouga grinned before cracking his knuckles languorously before leaping off the boat and landing on the dock close by. Kagome's eyes widened in horror while Kagura let out an aggravated cry. "You IDIOT!" she shrieked before grabbing her gun.

As if suddenly remembering the other two on board, Kagura turned to Kagome. "I highly doubt they've seen you yet…" she narrowed her eyes. "Girl, do you know how to swim?"

Kagome nodded slowly. Kagura smiled shortly. "Then I hope you can handle a little extra baggage," she sent a look in the direction of the unconscious hanyou. "You'd only have to swim about thirty or forty feet over to the land. _Do not _get out on the dock like that idiot wolf! Use those trees for shade."

And with that, she leapt off the boat with only the height and strength a demon could have. Kagome cringed as she heard gunshots go off. She couldn't _believe _surreal feeling that clung in the air…this had to have been one, long nightmare…maybe she had dozed off again at work and Sango had yet to wake her.

When a gunshot rang through the air, Kagome snapped back to her senses. She had to get out of their quickly before they were spotted. With a deep breath and more courage than she really had, Kagome dived into the water as soundlessly as possible. The boat rocked slightly before steadying to its lazy lilting bob. Kagome struggled to tug Inuyasha higher up into a sitting position so that she could drag him downwards.

"Doesn't even help me," she muttered with Kagura in mind.

After several seconds of violent tugging (Kagome fearing she had done more damage than good), she had drawn Inuyasha out into the water. She gasped as his body sunk hers down into the watery depths. Gulping one last bit of air, she glided down underneath, putting herself under Inuyasha's arm to gain leverage. With as much strength as possible, she glided upwards, just barely breaking the surface.

"Urgh!" She spit out some water, struggling to keep her head above. "This…sucks!" she gasped. She twisted her body away from Inuyasha, holding on to his arm firmly. Finally, she moved slightly so that she was resting more on her side, nearly her back. She kicked her legs powerfully, trying to get to land as fast as possible. _I should win the freaking Olympics for this! _

After several, hard minutes of kicking, readjusting, and swimming up to the surface, Kagome slapped her hand upon the grassy surface.

She hoisted herself up while keeping her grip on Inuyasha's body. Gritting her teeth, she heaved up upwards, grabbing onto his waist for a better grip.

They sprawled over on the grass, Kagome sighing with relief. Shaky breaths escaped her body, and she lifted her head up barely to glance at Inuyasha sprawled a few feet away from her. His eyes were still shut, blissfully unaware of all the hell they had just been through. _Typical_, she snorted, quickly kicking herself up off the ground.

She could feel her muscles ache in protest as she hooked her hands under his arms and begun to drag him into the dark recesses of the trees. The gunshots had long since vanished, and Kagome prayed Kagura and Kouga had been on the winning side. All was deathly silent, and Kagome, now off of her adrenaline rush, could feel the fear creep back up her spine.

Kagome dragged him for nearly ten minutes, the cluster of trees only thickening. Apparently this place was out in the middle of nowhere. Which would make sense. Anyone who was an enemy of this place would have a hard time finding it.

Feeling the last of her strength drain out, Kagome propped Inuyasha against a tree. They could rest for a few minutes…after all, no one had come after them.

Kagome shut her eyes slightly, shuddering slightly as a cool, night breeze swept through her. Her clothes were soaked and her hair matted against her face. Right now, she was just dreaming of sleeping in her warm, familiar bed.

"Kagome…"

Kagome's eyes shot up and she propped her body on her elbows, looking at Inuyasha. "You're up!" She crowed.

He nodded listlessly, taking a look at his surroundings while his nose twitched. "Where the hell are we?"

"In some wood area by the lab…Kouga and Kagura went off to take care of some guards…haven't seen 'em since."

"_Kouga _and _Kagura_," he snarled, eyes suddenly fully alert.

"Yeah," Kagome responded.

"Since when the hell did _Kagura _decide to help? She's always taking care of the dirty business around here…"

Kagome shrugged. "I guess she hates Naraku just as much as you and Kouga do."

"_Kouga_," he spat. "I can't believe I was getting help from _Kouga_."

Kagome rolled her eyes, though inwardly glad to have him awake and acting as he normally would. "Look, let's just forget about that right now. We have to find a way to get you and the others out of here."

"Others?" Inuyasha echoed suspiciously.

Kagome beamed. "Of course!"

Inuyasha glared before getting to his feet. He swayed lightly but only for a moment. Looking down at the bedraggled girl, he scowled. "There's one thing I want, and only one," he hissed, "and that's to get my revenge on Naraku and Kikyou."

Kagome stared at him for several moments before sighing. "Whatever. Let's get moving, huh?"

Inuyasha nodded shortly before studying all directions. "We should probably find a way to go to the back of the building."

"Where are we now then?"

"Probably somewhere near the front."

Kagome sighed. She really hated to go back, though she knew it was the right thing to do. The idea of leaving those other demons and people in there was completely out of the question. And she had to know how Kouga was doing…even Kagura, since she had helped them out.

"This is going to be hard, isn't it?" Kagome asked.

Inuyasha gave a bemused grin. "You have no idea."

--

Naraku interlocked his hands, resting his chin upon them. A far-off look was in his eyes as he listened to the sirens going off.

Apparently the stupid hanyou had tried to run away…_again_.

But no…what pissed him off more than the fact that the dog just didn't seem to understand the meaning of 'stay' was that not only did Kouga betray him once, he did it _again_, and now Kagura. She was always sort of flighty to begin with, but at the same time, she never really rebelled…until now of course. That hanyou was sure setting a trend among this place…

He would not let his lab fall to shambles though – not with such a promising reward splayed out on the horizon.

Unfortunately for him, the only _loyal _person around here was Kikyou…and she was never good for his nerves. However, he needed her right now to make sure that hanyou and his little human friend didn't run off too far.

Just then, Kikyou walked into his room, a frown set deep on her face.

"I'm sure you've heard the sirens going on," she said in a clipped tone.

"Yes, and?" he responded, still thinking.

"Aren't you going to do something about that?"

"And what do you presume I should do?" He suddenly snarled, crimson eyes glowing with annoyance.

"Shouldn't you…I…" Kikyou glowered before slamming a frustrated palm on his wooden desk. "If you let that stupid hanyou and those lower idiots escape, what do you think is going to happen to _you_?"

"Don't you think I already know that?" He snapped, rising to his full height.

Kikyou stepped back slightly, still scowling. "I don't understand why you can't take care of this. You should be _prepared _for these things."

"Thank you for telling me how I should run _my _business," he quipped coolly before stalking out of his office, a sight workers rarely saw.

--

"What?!" Kagome screeched. "You're joking right?"

"Nope," Inuyasha said, a bored expression on his face.

"But…But…No!" Kagome yelped. "I thought you said we should get to the back entrance! We can't just go in full force!"

"And why not?" Inuyasha shook his head. "Look, I've decided the best way to do this is to catch him off guard. He wouldn't suspect us to just leap out in the open. He probably has his workers searching in the more hidden spots."

Kagome pursed her lips. While that logic made sense, it was far more risky. She didn't want to die right off the bat! There had to be a sensible way to do this while still adding in the surprise attack factor. Naraku couldn't be that impossible to outsmart, could he?

"Just trust me," Inuyasha said, eyes never leaving the building.

"What?"

"Trust me," he repeated, suddenly turning to look at her, a cocky grin on his face.

The grin was infectious.

"I do."

Inuyasha suddenly crouched low to the ground. Kagome stared at him, wondering what he was doing.

"What…"

"Get on," he demanded.

Kagome nearly laughed. "Inuyasha, what are you talking abou-"

"Just get on!" He snapped. "We can't have you slowing me down. I'll let you off once we get inside," he added, ignoring the frown on Kagome's face at the 'slowing down' comment.

Kagome huffed before gently lowering herself on Inuyasha's back. She almost screamed when he tore off the ground, the wind sailing through their hair. Her nails dug into Inuyasha's back, desperately trying to keep herself steady. It was almost exhilarating in a way, but her fear kept overruling that feeling.

"Almost there," he announced, sprinting off into another high leap.

Kagome buried her head into his snowy locks, seeking comfort there. She felt like heaving, but she knew only dry air would come out.

After what felt like centuries, Inuyasha's feet touched solid ground and he lowered his back so that Kagome could topple off. She clutched her stomach tightly, wobbling around.

"Woah," Inuyasha caught her upper arm, and Kagome nearly went through another round of nausea when she realized they were up on the roof. "Can't have you falling down and breaking your neck."

"Inuyasha," her bottom lip trembling uneasily. "Why are we on the roof?!"

"Shh!" He slapped a hand over her mouth. "Shut up, I just wanted to avoid some of the guards down there. Luckily for us, they're just stupid, third-rate demons…they hardly have any instinct. And, just because we're going full force, doesn't mean we can't have a _few _surprises."

Kagome nodded her head shakily before walking away from the edge. The wind flapped relentlessly at her hair as she stood silently.

_Be brave, Kagome…be brave…_

Inuyasha nudged her over towards a small building which led to inside the building. He led the way, keeping his senses on the alert for any danger.

Soon enough, they found themselves in one of the corridors, and Kagome gulped. She could tell they were stepping into uncharted territory from here on out…she definitely didn't want to meet Naraku…

Inuyasha soon began to walk down the corridor, Kagome close behind. They passed several doors and glass windows, Inuyasha being extra careful to avoid those. He couldn't let them be seen by any of the researchers working in there. Inuyasha cast Kagome a small look over his shoulder, checking to see how she was doing. Appearance wise, she looked like she had fought hell and the devil himself…her hair was slowly drying out while her clothes still smelled damp. Her face looked pale while her blue eyes were wide with fear, and strangely enough, determination. Mentality wise…she seemed ready to drop.

He'd have to ask her later about what happened while he was unconscious…in full detail, of course.

_If _they made it out…

_At least if I don't make it, she better…which is why I'm not letting her come with me to see Naraku…_

Inuyasha stopped one hallway before the one that led to Naraku's office.

Kagome gave him a curious look, ready to question why they were stopping so abruptly.

He turned around to face her, a small, barely there amount of worry on his features. Behind him, there was a door that led to another hallway and through that hallway was a door that led to a fire escape, the one place where guards weren't positioned. Hardly anyone ever used that hallway, and he figured her chances of surviving would be higher. _No_, he corrected himself, _her chances of living are one hundred percent. _He didn't know where his fierce determination came from to protect her…perhaps it was because so often everyone thought he didn't know how to thank her…well, _this _was his way.

"Behind this door, there's a hallway that practically no one uses…Take the last door on the left and go down the fire escape. Keep hidden in the woody areas and just _leave_."

"What?!" Kagome sputtered before placing her hands on her hips. "There's _no way _I'm abandoning you after all this!"

"We don't have much time; just go before someone spots you!"

Before she could react, he yanked open the door and pushed her inside, shutting the door once more. Fortunately for him, the lock was on the outside. Kagome heard the telltale click of a lock, and nearly broke down the door in frustration.

"Inuyasha!" She pounded the door repeatedly until she realized he had left her…

_I'm all alone now…_

* * *

AN: Woah…end of this chapter. So, I think the end is coming up soon…hm…we'll see how that pans out. Till next time!

Oh, and for some reason, my email is being a butthead for not sending me review alerts, alerts in general, etc. EVEN THOUGH my account settings say I have them enabled, my email hasn't blocked the mail from ...and even if it did, it should go to my spam folder which I check...grr...sometimes technology is a jerk.


	11. The Past is the Past

AN: Sorry for that tiny delay. You probably thought I ran off again, huh? Wouldn't blame ya. Anyways, I had written the first part of this a few days back, and then all of a sudden this morning, I had the strangest urge to write. Like I mean, my fingers moving so fast against the keyboard my thoughts were getting jumbled. It was like, 10 in the morning which for me is way too early, so I was extremely tired…considering I had woken up at eight too. Anyways, what I'm trying to say is, it might be a sort of loopy chapter, but I hope you'll still enjoy it!

And my email has finally stopped being whack and sending me all the alerts from .

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

**The Experiment**

**Chapter Eleven: The Past is the Past**

Kagome felt like screaming and kicking in ways that would leave a two year old with a tantrum in awe. She just couldn't believe that Inuyasha had _left _her! There was no way she was escaping when he was going off to confront Naraku on his own. She did _not _come here to sit like a duck. Kouga and Kagura had done their fill, and now it was her turn.

"Oh…so god help you, Inuyasha, when I get out of here!" she hissed quietly.

Quietly turning around to stare the hallway before her, she contemplated looking in at the other rooms. There was the possibility that they led to other areas of the building, and maybe to Inuyasha. Kagome looked to her left and decided to open the first door. She frowned upon finding it was just a storage room. The girl continued to open every door, one at time before finally finding one that held a hallway. It looked dark and downright creepy with only one fluorescent light square flickering on the ceiling. Swallowing her fears, Kagome began to walk through the door, shutting it behind her.

At once the room was swallowed up in darkness save for the one light midway through the hall. Her eyes adjusted to the dim corridor before she finally decided to step onwards. Fear tugged at her mind, and she felt that at any moment, someone could spring up behind and kill her.

_Just keep going, Kagome. You have to get to Inuyasha. _

Her footsteps were quiet and shy as she slowly made her way towards a steel door at the end of the hall. Relief began to wash upon her as nothing seemed to spring out from the shadows. As soon as she reached the door, she pressed her eager hands against it. The door wouldn't budge until it silently gave in, cracking open enough for Kagome to look out. She had to be sure she wasn't stepping into some danger zone. Upon looking into the room, she spotted another door, a tinier one, right across from her with a sliver of a window which suggested another corridor. She made a beeline towards it when she didn't sense anyone else in the room, completely ignoring the filing cabinets that stood in rows before her.

Pushing open that door, she was glad to see normal lighting. She stepped outside, shutting the door behind her and began to walk down the left. _Hmph…and Inuyasha seriously thought he could keep me away…though I guess it was a nice gesture…_Shaking her head, Kagome was about to turn the corner when the clicking of heels stopped her.

"Just where do you think you're going?!" A feminine voice rang out.

Kikyou.

Kagome whirled around, seeing the woman scowl at her angrily. She knew if she didn't evade the woman soon, she'd be in deep trouble. Right now, she couldn't afford to get locked up in any more places…she had to get to Inuyasha!

"What do you want?" Kagome's voice shook slightly, but she tried to put on a brave face.

"What do _I _want?" Kikyou asked with an edge of incredulity. "I think I should be the one asking that. You're supposed to be shot dead somewhere," she hissed quietly. "You're going off to help Inuyasha, aren't you?" An accusing tone.

Kagome recoiled involuntarily. "And if I am?"

Kikyou smiled darkly. "I'm afraid not." She stalked towards the young girl, eyes as hard as stone as she reached into her jacket to pull out a knife, much like Kagura had done with her gun. Apparently most of the people were armed around here, something Kagome didn't find surprising. Her eyes widened with fear as the woman came closer with every intent to harm, if not kill, her.

"I will not let Inuyasha be hurt by people like you!" Kagome defended. "Try and kill me, but I'll fight back!"

"You will, will you?" Kikyou murmured, stopping to gaze at the long knife in her hand, gingerly tossing it back forth between each one. Looking up, her brown eyes seemed to soften. "You know, there was a time that Inuyasha and I were in love –"

"You tricked him!" Kagome interrupted.

Kikyou's gaze narrowed. "It's not like I enjoyed it, but I realized that there are times in life when you have to choose. It was either love or money…and I do think that money has much more perks. Besides," a wry grin tugged at Kikyou's lips, "money _can _buy love...I don't _need _Inuyasha…but…" she stopped, looking down once more. Kagome's muscles relaxed slightly. "I see that you love Inuyasha."

"What?" Kagome's voice came out in a tiny whisper. She hadn't been expecting _that _to come out of Kikyou's mouth. "Where did you get that idea –"

"Oh, don't play dumb. It's not flattering. You love him; I can tell by the way you defend him so much. Anyone would be stupid to miss the signs.

"Quite frankly, I don't like that. _I _was the first one to warm his heart, to melt away that tough exterior…and to think that _you _are going to replace that?"

Kagome's temper flared.

"You're just psycho!" She shot back. "You didn't love him; if you loved Inuyasha, would you have ever done that…send him to this place?"

Kikyou gave her a flippant look before continuing forwards. "Like I said, there comes a time when you have to choose. And, I'll be honest right now, I just don't like you. You just have some nerve to think that you can replace his _first love_."

Kagome's lips tightened into a thin line. "You're just mad that he isn't stuck on you anymore. I don't know if Inuyasha even likes me, but the fact that he seems to hate you must just rip you apart inside," Kagome sneered, not knowing where she was pulling the courage from.

"Please, don't even try to act like you have the upper hand. You think you're getting inside my skin? Think again," she hissed, suddenly swiping forwards to knock Kagome on the ground.

The two women wrestled on the floor, Kikyou fighting to plunge the knife while Kagome fought for her life. The tip of the knife grazed her neck, and she winced. It was far too close for comfort. She grabbed the woman's wrists in an attempt to hold her off, letting out a yelp as the woman forced Kagome to knock her head on the cold, hard floor.

"Get off, you psycho bitch!" Kagome screamed, suddenly kicking her in the stomach. Kikyou let out a gasp of air, rolling off. She wheezed as air violently made its way back into her lungs.

Kagome took this as her chance to get up and run, but Kikyou lunged and knocked into her. "Run away, why don't you?" She hissed in her ear. Kagome frowned, trying to keep a brave front, but she could feel her panic on the rise. Her body was trembling in anticipation for the strike of the knife, but her mind was begging her to think of something and quickly.

And then she got an idea. It was probably morally wrong, but Kagome wasn't one to be choosy. She had to get out of this woman's sight, so she'd do what she could. She had no qualms about doing this if it meant getting to Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha still loves you!"

Just as she suspected, Kikyou froze. Though Kagome's back was facing the older woman, her arms were still gripped by her behind her back, much like a cop would do to a suspect.

"Yeah…that's right," Kagome said, attempting to build up a bitter tone. It wasn't too hard either…thinking about Inuyasha actually _being _with her…it made her stomach churn in ways that made Kagome want to die. "I only wish he could feel the same about me as he did you," she whispered softly.

Kikyou backed away, knife lowering to her side.

"What are you saying, girl?"

Kagome turned around slowly.

"I'm saying…that you're just in the way!" and with ferocity she didn't know she possessed, she knocked Kikyou to the ground, sending the knife sliding out of her limp grasp. Kagome was never one to be violent, but she could feel a shock of raging emotions and anger and slapped Kikyou's face. The moment she did so, an awful feeling thundered throughout her body. The woman on the ground looked so terribly sad and lonely. "I'm sorry," she whispered quickly, before turning around and running down the hall.

_I can't believe I did that…when did I ever do such awful things? I never, ever want to do that to someone again…and she looked so sad…_Kagome shook her head, deciding that she could worry about Kikyou later. For now, Inuyasha was her top priority.

--

Inuyasha sniffed the air curiously, catching sight of Naraku's evil scent before entering his office. It was classy and organized, something Inuyasha expected. The man was never even seen without a suit jacket. He was all about looking prim and proper on the outside while being a raging demon on the inside.

But what bothered him was that it was empty.

The seat was pushed in, completely vacant; it was almost taunting him.

Inuyasha poked around his office, searching for anything odd or helpful, something that might tell him where Naraku was.

The door shut with a soft click, and Inuyasha whirled around, cursing himself for not catching the approaching presence.

"And I didn't even have to chase you in," Naraku chuckled.

"Shut up, you bastard," Inuyasha seethed, flexing his claws with the full intent to rip out Naraku's throat.

"I wouldn't be so quick to act," Naraku said softly. He extended out a gun from the inside of his jacket, a completely impassive look on his face. "Luckily, I did have copies of your DNA…it's unfortunate that we can't keep you around though. We'll have to wait a long time for the process to occur again. But on the other hand, I can't have you running around telling a sob story, can I?" Naraku shook his head, a dark smile on his face. "No, I can't."

Inuyasha hesitated upon seeing the sleek, black gun in his enemy's hand. For the second that it would take Inuyasha to lunge, it would be all that Naraku needed to pull the trigger. One measly bullet wouldn't mean a thing on his demonic body…but several in the right place meant death.

_But it's a chance I'm willing to take. It's not like I have too much to lose._ And then he remembered Kagome. _Hopefully she escaped…she'd have to be completely stupid _not _to_.

Inuyasha decided that either way, Naraku had to be defeated, and he'd be the one to do it.

"Nice try, Naraku…a gun may be enough to stop ordinary people or low-class demons, but don't even think that I give a shit!" He lunged towards the man, claws extended straight for his neck. Naraku's cool composure shattered briefly before he pulled the trigger. Inuyasha clenched his teeth to keep out the screams. The bullet had just gone into his shoulder and warm blood was starting to leak out.

But he'd be damned if it stopped him.

Naraku fired again, Inuyasha barely dodging it. A few wisps of white hair fell to the ground showing just how close he had gotten.

"You have lousy aim!" Inuyasha cajoled, attempting to bring out the worst in Naraku. He was planning on letting Naraku lose all control – enough so that Inuyasha could have a fighting chance.

"I wouldn't talk, half-breed," Naraku retorted, a small smirk gracing his lips. "You can't dodge a gun too long in closed walls."

He fired again, a glass vase shattering as it hit the ground. Inuyasha scowled. "Come on! My grandma could shoot better than you!" He didn't even remember his grandma. _Do I even _have _one? Ah, doesn't matter._

"All talk and no action, mutt?" A shot rang out again, Inuyasha just barely skidding to the side, knocking into a shelf bringing down all sorts of objects down with him, breaking a small statue or two.

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, baring his teeth. Enough was enough. He continually dodged the bullets all the while heading towards Naraku's range.

"How cowardly that you fight with a gun!" He swiped his claws at Naraku's face, sending him stumbling back a few feet. Two thin lines began to appear on his face, the red telling of blood. Naraku glared, using the back of his hand to wipe off the blood.

"You want to know what's _cowardly_? The fact that you had to hide behind a little, human girl in order to protect your life. How pitiful…I always had hopes for you and your potential, but I guess we didn't tweak your personality enough, did we?" He mocked, watching with sadistic pleasure as Inuyasha's face contorted into anger.

"Like you could even do any better! I don't hide behind others and let them take the brunt of the work. I fight back at the very least! And what do you do? You let people like Kouga and Kagura take a fall!"

"If only I actually _cared_…" Naraku sighed with false wistfulness.

"Just _shut up_!" Inuyasha hissed, landing a hard punch on the man's face.

Naraku was shoved backwards, his body slamming against the wooden door of his office. Groaning, he felt something dislodge, and with mild distaste, turned his head slightly to the side, keeping his eyes locked on Inuyasha, and spit out a tooth.

"Well done," he drawled. Naraku rose to his feet, keeping one of his hands hidden behind his back as he unlocked the door quietly. Oh, would Inuyasha be in for a surprise. It was amazing how once the half-breed became engaged in something so aggravating, that most of his sense forgot to rely on other background affairs.

Lifting the gun, poised to throw in the last round at Inuyasha's heart, he quickly opened the door and whirled around, pointing at an out-of-breath Kagome. Her eyes widened in shock upon seeing the gun aimed straight between her eyes.

"I tried so hard to make things work out, Inuyasha, but I realize you're a _stubborn_ one," he hissed. "I guess my earlier threat didn't make an impact on your mind. So let me try it again. You make one more lousy attempt to kill me, and I'll _blow her brains out_."

Kagome froze, making eye contact with Inuyasha who looked positively horrified.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go! She was supposed to be _miles _away now, in the safety of her own home. But he should've known the girl would find some way out…he should've known she'd defy what he said; she was always so stubborn!

Naraku smiled, feeling the tension in the air. He knew he won.

"That's right. Just as I thought. You and your human sympathies…no wonder I always thought them to be weaknesses," Naraku sighed, lowering the gun, though not by much.

Kagome shifted on her feet, deciding that if there was one thing she was good at, it was talking her way out of things.

"What happened to Kouga and Kagura, Naraku?" She whispered softly.

Naraku looked surprised, momentarily forgetting she was there, or even had a voice for that matter. He gave a quick shrug of the shoulders, tossing her a flippant look. "Who knows? Dead, alive, crawling on the ground…it doesn't matter much to me; they'll die eventually."

Kagome gritted her teeth. "What happens if Inuyasha decides to disregard your threat?"

"Well I suppose your brains will be decorating my floor. I'll look like quite the expressionist."

Kagome tried to make eye contact with Inuyasha, who, although he was staring straight at her, seemed to have been in a daze, as if lost in the surrealism of the situation.

But suddenly, he blinked, and tiny grin made its way to his face as he realized just what she was doing. Suddenly her rather stupid questions weren't so stupid anymore; she was stalling Naraku, allowing Inuyasha a chance to injure him.

He was beginning to wonder what he would've done had Kagome not appeared. It would've been much tougher for him to evade Naraku, much less kill him.

Inuyasha pushed his feet up off the ground and extended his claws out.

Naraku grimaced, ruby eyes glowing with rage. He could feel the blood trickling down his back, the back of his shirt sticking slightly to his skin. Inuyasha wasted no time in attempting to beat him some more; Naraku's fingers desperately tried to reclaim the trigger on the gun.

"Get out of here!" Inuyasha yelled to Kagome.

She couldn't move though. Her legs had frozen like icicles, and with sick fascination, she couldn't tear her eyes off of the struggle between the two men. She wanted to help, but there was no way her strength could match up to them. It'd be a losing battle on her part.

"Stop standing like an idiot and –" Naraku smacked the gun against Inuyasha's cheek, causing him to sputter and roll away, gingerly touching the reddening area.

Naraku scrambled to his feet, backing a few feet away. "A fucking idiot as always. You seriously thought you could beat me when I have a gun? Oh, you're nearly perfect, but not quite. At least another year's worth of experiments…" Naraku grinned, sensing the anger and frustration emanating from Inuyasha. "But you know, since this girl's life obviously means nothing to you thanks to the stunt you just pulled on me," he aimed his gun at Kagome, "I think I'll go ahead and use her remains as a nice picture to hang in my office. You know…let it serve as a reminder of what I can do. And! Not to mention, it'll definitely spice up the room a bit."

Kagome could feel her knees shaking violently while Inuyasha cursed softly.

"Yes, yes, I think that will work," Naraku waved the gun flippantly. "Alright then. Stand still, I want to have good aim. Too much blood just becomes distasteful."

A shot rang through the air, and the smell of blood became rapidly pungent.

* * *

AN: I always thought of Naraku as a sort of Patrick Bateman, yet not type of guy. Well, in AU fics. Provided they're the modern AU fics…just to add to the businessy-suit-deal Patrick's got going on. Ergh, anyways, tell me what you think! (_ignoring the fact that she ended on a cliffhanger) _lalalala...


	12. Jitterbugs of the Heart

The air was still with trepidation

AN: Well…nothing to say here. Except thanks for all the reviews! I love you guys mucho!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

**The Experiment**

**Chapter Twelve: Jitterbugs of the Heart**

The air was still with trepidation. Kagome fought to keep her knees steady, but she could feel them knocking together. Inuyasha looked at the ground, watching the blood run in tiny streams before pooling together in puddles. A round of bullets had been shot, each one precisely hitting the mark.

Kagome couldn't bear to look at the glassy, crimson depths of Naraku's eyes.

Kikyou stood before them, an impassive look on her face. A small bruise blemished her cheek, one Kagome was not too proud to see. However, the woman paid her no mind, walking briskly towards the pair, easily avoiding the corpse. To be honest, Kagome wasn't surprised to see she had recovered so quickly. She hadn't exactly given Kikyou the beat down of her life; if anything, the words she said probably fueled her will to get into action.

And now she'd shoot them dead.

Inuyasha wouldn't be able to kill her. Kagome knew it. He'd go down without a fight. Regardless of how much he hated her, it was obvious that a part of him, however small it may be, treasured her. She was his first love, and that was something Kagome could never compete with. _I'm so stupid to be thinking thoughts like these at a time like this…_

"Kikyou…" Inuyasha whispered, body stiffening on instinct.

"I see you've managed to live," she replied coolly, ignoring the look on Inuyasha's face. Kagome kept a steady eye on the gun at Kikyou's side.

When no response came, Kikyou sighed looking off to the side. "I suppose you're bitter. Fine. I wouldn't expect you to want to talk. But I'll let you know that I'm not here for talking. You've been dead to me for a long time," she added.

"Why did you kill him?" Inuyasha asked, gritting his teeth to avoid saying things he never wanted her to hear.

"It's a funny thing when you realize you're just being used. I'm sure you know the feeling quite well, huh puppy dog?" She asked, a mocking lilt to her voice. "Anyways, I realized now was as good a time as ever to kill Naraku before he got off with all the credit. I always did have the feeling he was cheating me anyways."

Nothing was said, and the air became still once more. The smell of blood permeated the air, inducing a sort of nausea within Kagome. But Inuyasha seemed to have a harder time controlling the urge to just faint. _Of course. His dog nose probably smells this a lot worse than I do._

"Well, since we're done _chatting _here," Kikyou announced dryly, "allow me to finish this." She lifted her gun, brown eyes locking on Inuyasha's golden ones.

She fired the gun, Inuyasha quickly snapping to his senses and dodging the gun. Kikyou's aim wasn't too bad. Nearly all the bullets she had fired into Naraku had hit his heart. Kagome pressed herself against the wall, watching in horror is Kikyou fired the round of bullets she had with every intent to kill the hanyou. Meanwhile, Inuyasha could feel his rage building up again. He would've rather been shot dead by Naraku.

_I can't kill her, damn it! I can't…_Inuyasha clenched his teeth in frustration as a bullet grazed his upper arm. He could see Kagome across from him, pressed against the wall. Her face was paler than a fresh sheet of snow. Kikyou took her chance to shoot him, and he howled in pain as a bullet lodged itself close to his heart.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed. She turned to Kikyou who didn't look perturbed at all. "I can't believe you'd sink so low!" She charged against the woman who raised a brow.

"Do you forget who has the gun here?" She asked before firing. Kagome yelped and ducked, hearing the sound of the wall being smashed behind her. Glancing at the floor, she saw a few wisps of black hair. _That was close…_

"God, you're not even worth the kill…look at you, just standing there," Kikyou spat. She turned her gaze to Inuyasha who was lying on the floor, blood seeping through his hand that tried to cover the wound. She smirked and began to walk towards him, gun position straight for his heart. "Let me just do you a favor and finish you off, here and now."

Inuyasha stared at the woman above him, the edges beginning to blur. He had lost so much blood and energy…

Kikyou rested a slender finger on the trigger, getting ready to pull it, when she was roughly pushed to the side. Her body bumped against the wall, the gun falling out of her grasp.

"You little bitch!" She shrieked; Kagome had retrieved the gun and was pointing it straight for her. "Oh come _on_," Kikyou laughed slightly, a hysterical edge on it, "you can't _kill _me! Look at you! Your hands are shaking. I can tell you've never held a gun before. Figures, I knew you were just a weak –"

"Shut up!" Kagome snapped. "If you don't shut up, I'll shoot!"

Kikyou rolled her eyes, though a tremor of fear shot up her spine. "Big words, no action…isn't that always the case? I'm surprised you even managed a bruise."

Kagome knew Kikyou was just trying to taunt her, get in her say. _But I've had it. I will _not _let her act all smug and win. I've got the control now._

Hours seemed to pass by while Kagome stood their trembling, in awe of how much power she truly held in her hands. She had the power to either let someone live or take away their life. _All this time I wished there was some sort of action in my life, but I never thought _this _was the action I'd get. _

"Well?" Kikyou hissed, her heart having nearly failed. The gun had been shaking and foreboding her of ill consequences for nearly three minutes. "Shoot me, you little coward!"

"I…" Kagome felt her knees buckling from pressure. What _was _she doing? _Kagome, you're so stupid! To think that _you _of all people could actually kill someone! Just stop trying to play the hero and get Inuyasha out of here! _

"Kagome!" A voice shouted, and Kagome whirled around, glad to have been taken away from that period of fear.

"Kouga! Kagura! You guys are okay!"

"Yes," Kagura nodded once catching up. "And we've called the police." She eyed Naraku's dead body on the floor and snorted. "Good riddance."

Kouga glanced at the gun and then at Kikyou who stood still against the wall. An angry glare was on her face. "So Kagome," he said, tearing his eyes away from Kikyou, "did you seriously shoot Naraku?" He gave a pointed look at the gun.

"No! No way!" She shook her head.

Kagura walked over towards Kikyou, grasping the woman's wrists and pulling them behind her back. "No offense to you, human, but I highly doubt you even know how to shoot one," a friendly challenge was written on her face, and Kagome huffed.

"Well Kikyou, you had your fun," Kouga commented. "The police should be here some time soon."

"And you're getting away with it, wolf?" She hissed. "You were just as much a part of this as I was! Both of you."

"That's none of your business," he sniffed, turning away to find Kagome by Inuyasha's side. "How's the mutt?"

Kagome didn't bother to reprimand him on the comment. "He got shot in the chest…not his heart, but close enough. I'm worried," she said, looking up. "What if…"

Kagura shook her head. "He's a hanyou. That still gives him a great deal of healing abilities. But it'd be better if wound was cleaned and taken care of. Which won't be an issue, since the ambulance is coming too."

"Good," Kagome breathed a sigh of relief. She stroked his snow-colored hair, somewhat alarmed at how hot his skin felt. "You'll be okay, Inuyasha. I promise."

--

Kagome watched in somewhat of a daze as paramedics lifted Inuyasha onto a stretcher. Looking away, she saw the police interrogating a few scientists along with Kouga and Kagura who had apathetic masks. A cop had already questioned her, but she didn't have much information to give in the first place. All she could do now was hope for the best.

Soon enough, Kouga and Kagura appeared by her side, both of them looking tired.

"What happened?" Kagome asked, pulling her jacket tighter around her waist.

"We," Kouga gestured to himself and Kagura, "don't get any jail time." A cocky grin made its way to his face, while Kagura rolled her eyes.

"Only because we gave up all the information we knew." She snorted. "It's not like we even have any loyalties to this place." Kagome nodded quietly, staring off at Inuyasha who was being put into the ambulance. "How is he doing?" Kagura asked softly.

"They said he'll be okay…recovery could take a while, and it'll scar for sure, but otherwise…" she smiled sadly. "Everything's okay then I guess. He'll be free like every one else."

Kagura smiled softly before looking over to the ambulance. "You should go with him."

Kagome looked up, a watery film over her eyes. She shook her head as if to rid away the unshed tears and smiled. "Yeah, you're right. I'll do just that." She turned to head over towards the ambulance before throwing a look over her shoulder. "Why don't you guys come too?"

Kouga glanced at Kagura before nodding slightly. "We will." Kagome accepted that as an answer and disappeared into the back of the ambulance with Inuyasha. The paramedics shut the doors before driving off.

Kagome sat watching Inuyasha, though she wasn't actually seeing him. Her mind was far away from where her body currently was. She was lost – her mind had shifted forwards towards the future. After weeks of living with Inuyasha, she wondered what would happen. Did he have life before Kikyou and the lab? He must've…it just seemed like a fanciful idea for her to imagine him without one…for her to be the one that would help him start anew.

She suddenly stilled, her hands had stopped fidgeting in her lap. _When did I become so selfish? _She forced herself to forget about those thoughts and for now, focus on Inuyasha's well-being. There was no point in running circles for answers she'd never be able to find.

It wasn't long before Inuyasha had been taken out of the ambulance and sent up to the hospital. Kagome had been shoved aside as doctors began to shout orders and get set to work. She waited outside in the waiting room, suddenly thinking of Sango and Miroku. She felt like she needed to at least tell them all that had been going on…plus, she was sure Inuyasha saw them as friends to a degree and vice-versa.

Using a phone hooked to the wall nearby, Kagome dialed for Sango.

"What?! You're at the _hospital_?!" Sango yelped, causing Kagome to pull the phone away a few inches before bringing it back to her ear with a smile on her face.

"Yeah, well…it's a long story. I'd appreciate it if you and Miroku came."

"Right, right," Sango quickly complied before hanging up. Kagome sighed and put the phone back on the hook; she sat down in the chair, idly waiting for something to happen.

Kouga and Kagura soon burst through the door, recognition flitting by on their faces when they spotted Kagome sitting alone.

"Is he okay?" Kagura asked, sitting down in a chair across from her.

"Yeah, doctors are working on him right now. What happened to Kikyou and the lab?"

Kouga smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Prison for god knows how long…they'll have to work on the details. The lab itself is being torn down."

"That's good," Kagome grinned. "By the way, two of my friends are coming…" she saw the sudden sharp looks on their faces. "They already know Inuyasha, and he knows them."

They relaxed somewhat, Kouga yawning obnoxiously.

Kagome shared idle chatter with Kagura when she saw Sango and Miroku step through the door, looking slightly flustered.

Sango plopped into the chair beside Kagome, giving the girl a hug. "I got so worried, Kagome! I tried calling you earlier, but you wouldn't pick up, and when I heard you say you were at the hospital, well I…why is Kouga here? And who is she?" She asked, suspicion in her voice.

"Kouga is here because he helped me and Inuyasha get out. And she's Kagura. She also helped. Without them, we'd probably be dead," Kagome added in all seriousness.

"Dead?" Miroku questioned, raising a brow. "What exactly happened?"

Kagome, Kouga, and Kagura all shared knowing glances, though Kouga and Kagura were also curious to know what happened in the final moments that led up to Naraku's death.

"I'll start from the beginning…"

--

Inuyasha slowly opened his eyes, wincing at the bright lights that illuminate his vision. His thoughts were muddled and confusing, and he constantly found himself with holes in parts of his memory. He could just remember flashes of swimming, Naraku, Kikyou, Kagome…a gun.

He felt a searing pain in his chest as he struggled to sit up when gentle hands pushed him back down.

Looking up, he spotted Kagome. She had a small smile on her face as she sat down in the chair next to his bed.

"I see you're awake," she greeted cheerfully. But Inuyasha could tell she was tired…and something else it seemed.

"Yeah," he murmured. He looked up at the ceiling, sighing (and wincing from the pain it caused his chest) before turning his head to look at the girl once more. "What happened?"

She suddenly pursed her lips, not wanting to tell him…she didn't have too much trouble relaying the story to Sango and Miroku, but somehow…telling Inuyasha just seemed like she was telling a sad story. One that could've potentially ended much worse.

"Well…Kagura and Kouga called the police, so…" she trailed off, looking out the window to see the dark sky. It was two in the morning, and Kagome stifled a yawn. Turning back to Inuyasha's anxious face, she sighed, regretting the things she'd have to say. "Kikyou is going to jail, she was the one who shot Naraku too…and well, the lab is being torn down."

Inuyasha stared at her for a few moments before cursing softly and turning his head back up to the ceiling.

A few minutes of silence passed, and Kagome could tell she was ready to nod off when Inuyasha suddenly spoke.

"I wanted so bad…so badly to get my revenge on Naraku…I wanted to be the one to kill him and let him suffer, but…in a way, I guess I'm glad…it wasn't me who had the burden to bear." Kagome smiled softly, secretly grateful that he had never been given the chance to get his revenge against Naraku. She somehow knew that it would forever rest on his conscious, and the guilt would just eat away at him. She just knew.

Kagome wrung her hands nervous, biting her lip. She wasn't sure she could ask this, but…

"Inuyasha…this might be sort of personal, but…do you still love Kikyou? I mean, be honest! I know you're mad at what she did to you, but…"

Inuyasha turned his head away, staring at the wall. Kagome took a sharp intake of breath before plastering a smile on her face. "That's okay then. I should just let you rest a little. Everyone's back in the waiting room, so I'll just be there and…" she trailed off, getting up to her feet. She bit her lip unsurely before shaking her head and walking over to the door, turning the light switch off as she did so.

"Wait."

The voice was so husky and quiet, that Kagome had to do a double take.

"What?" She asked, tucking an errant strand behind her ear.

"About Kikyou." Kagome was suddenly hooked on his every word, anxiety showing in her blue eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Well…you asked if I still loved her, and you asked me to be honest. The truth? Yeah…I still love her. Some crazy, stupid, tiny part of me…"

Kagome cringed, feeling her hopes crashing down. She should've known better than to let herself loose in her fantasy world where Inuyasha felt the same way about her that she did him.

"But…I don't love her like I did. And that's a huge difference. I hate her, but I do love her, because I guess there's some shitty saying like "you can never forget your first love" or something…" he muttered. Kagome nearly giggled had she not been feeling so choked up. "Anyways, she's in the past, and that's where she's going to stay."

"Alright," Kagome nodded, feeling sick with how feeble her voice sounded. She was sure that although Inuyasha wasn't so good at subtlety, he'd be able to detect her sadness. Steeling herself, she turned to leave. "Get some rest, Inuyasha."

"I'm not finished," he stated firmly, struggling to get into a sitting position. Kagome glided over to his side and quickly propped him up against the pillows. The room was dark, but Kagome could still see his amber eyes glowing so fiercely.

"What is it then?" Kagome asked, fidgeting with the zipper on her jacket.

"You didn't even bother to ask me about _now_."

"Now…?" She echoed.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Me and you. Now."

Kagome quickly put on a mask of indifference. "What's there to discuss?"

"Oh for fuck's sake, don't act like you haven't even been thinking about it!" He snapped.

Kagome looked alarmed for a moment before schooling her own expression of annoyance. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Bullshit you don't."

Kagome could feel her anger rising and was alarmed at how quickly her mood could shift when she was with Inuyasha. It was possibly part of the reason why she loved him so much; he always kept her on her toes in some way.

They spent a few moments glaring at each other before Inuyasha let out a loud sigh. "Forget it! Just leave me alone."

Kagome's temper flared before she stomped towards the door. "Fine by me!" She yelled before slamming the door shut behind her. Her chest was rising up and down as she exhaled her anger from her system. _Stupid jerk…_

Inuyasha slumped against his pillows, giving a sour look to the wall. _Dumb bitch…_

_But…_Kagome stood against the wall, moving her heel this way and that as she stared at the floor. _This might be my only chance to tell him…maybe I should just…oh, to hell with it, Kagome!_

The door slammed open, and Kagome stomped in, marching to a stop right beside Inuyasha's bed.

"Listen, you! You've put me through a lot of hell, and I'm tired, and I just wanna sleep! So when I say this, don't you dare try to put up a fight with me! After all this crap, and everything we've been through, I think I've fallen in love with you! Now, I don't care if you don't feel the same way, but I just thought you should know and all, so that's no big shocker –"

Kagome gasped as she felt herself being pulled down by the shoulders. She just about died when she felt Inuyasha's lips on her own. They were soft and gentle, something she hadn't expected but definitely enjoyed. She sighed contentedly, enjoying the feeling of just kissing and not caring about the rest of the world…just being with Inuyasha.

He pulled away after a bit, staring intensely into her eyes. "God, you talk too damn much."

She blushed with embarrassment.

"But yeah," he grinned. "I love you."

Kagome looked flustered, eyes shining with giddiness and a smile that could rival a superstar's. Her thoughts were so frazzled and fried that she just blurted out the first thing that came to her.

"Me too!"

* * *

AN: Aww, so they kissed. Hah! So no one can say I didn't have them kiss! Oh, and I have to give credit where credit is due. The last line was from What I Like About You where (you might know this, you might not…depends on if you watch it…personally I love the show!) Vic says "I love you" and Val just looks all giddy and then blurts out "Me too!" It was cute and funny – well, to me at least.

So I may or may not put up an epilogue to this…I sort of liked the ending like this, something I wasn't planning on. I had been making it so that I could leave room for an epilogue, but it doesn't seem like it needs it…well, tell me what you think. Though I won't promise I'll go with what you guys say, but hey, who knows!


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